Established Representative at the UK Intellectual Property Office — since 2008New scam warning · 27 Oct: Jones Hedley Trademark Website: A Real Firm’s…
When things do not go to plan

Opposition (Third-Party)

Someone formally challenges your mark after publication, the highest-stakes moment in the process.

~2%

opposed · ~49% still register

A watch-out
Video explainer

Coming soon, a short walkthrough of this stage.

What is a trademark opposition?

An opposition is a formal challenge filed during the publication window, usually by an owner of an earlier similar mark. It is the highest-stakes moment in the process.

Only about 2% of applications are opposed, but the outcome is finely balanced: only around 49% of opposed marks still register. Handled well, with evidence, legal argument and on-time filings, many oppositions can be defended or settled. Handled alone, most are lost.

This is exactly where professional representation earns its place: represented applicants hold their marks far more often than those who go it alone.

What to do & be aware of

Real cases at this stage

Trademark opposition cases from the UK courts and registry, from IWATCH to CHINA WHITE, and what each one means if you oppose or defend a mark.

Read our guide to trademark opposition cases →

Common questions

It depends on the case, but it is far less than losing the brand you have built. Our representation packages start from £14/month and include triaging and guiding you through exactly this.

Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEO

Yes, many settle by agreement, often by narrowing the goods or services so both marks can coexist. We negotiate these regularly.

Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEO
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Includes our Care of Address, which keeps your home address off the public register and cuts scam mail at source.

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No obligation. Bring your name, logo or tagline and we will tell you where you stand.

Figures are derived from analysis of the public UK Intellectual Property Office trademark register (applications filed 2015 to 2023, a settled cohort of 1,340,875 marks). They describe the typical journey of a UK trademark application and are for general information, every application is different.

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