How can I check that my logo was not copied from someone else?

Start with the process. A designer who drew your mark can show rough sketches, rejected directions and the reason a particular shape was chosen, such as the arch of your shopfront or the first letter of your family name. If the only thing you ever saw was a single finished file, ask for the working. Reluctance to share it is a warning sign, though not proof on its own.

Then search. Upload the logo to Google Lens or a reverse image search and look at visually similar results, not only exact matches. Search the free icon and template sites for your trade's obvious symbols. Scroll through businesses in your category on Google Maps across the twin cities and on Instagram, because a local lookalike is a bigger practical problem than a distant one. If you plan to register the mark, a trademark lawyer can search the official register properly.

Prevention is easier than detection. Agree in writing that the work is original and that the full rights pass to you on payment, avoid briefs that ask for 'something like' a famous brand, and be cautious with marks built around common stock icons. Our marks are drawn from scratch for each client, never reused, and handed over with their sketches so the origin is on record if anyone ever asks, whether that is a customer, a competitor or a lawyer.