Last reviewed by Jonathan Paton
We help UK businesses search, register and protect their brands, and we have done since 2008. The Trademark Helpline is a UKIPO-registered trademark representative based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. We work with start-ups, growing businesses and the advisers who look after them, from the first name search to defending the brand years later.
At a glance
- Founded: 2008, by Jonathan Paton
- Who we are: a UKIPO-registered trademark representative
- Experience: more than 4,000 UK trademark filings
- Clients say: rated excellent by 250+ businesses
- Where: Altrincham, Trafford, Greater Manchester, working with businesses across the UK
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On this page: Our story · How we work · Our people · What clients say · Contact us
Our story
Jonathan Paton formed The Trademark Helpline in 2008 to support a group of business owners. He was running a web marketing business at the time and watched his small business clients being pressured by larger organisations into giving up their domain names over trademark claims. Expert help was out of their budget, so he researched and defended the cases himself, then registered their trademarks.
Demand from those clients grew to the point that he handed the marketing business to his business partner and never went back. Originally known as the Trademark Association, the business has grown into The Trademark Helpline, with the same aim it started with: making proper trademark protection affordable at every budget.
“Trademarks are incredibly valuable business assets. Our knowledgeable team will act on your behalf to ensure your brand is secure. We can deal with everything, from the initial research and registration to the ongoing protection of your trademark. We also work with industry leading partners to make certain that you receive the best possible advice for your situation. Whether you are just starting out or looking to strengthen your brand and grow, we will work with you to ensure all of your trademark needs are met.”
Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEO
How we work: Search. Register. Protect.
Search
Before anything is filed, we check whether the name is safe to use and register: the trademark register, Companies House, domains, social media and marketplaces. Start with a free trademark search, or ask for a full Trademark Clearance Audit.
Register
We prepare and file the application in the right classes, for the goods and services your business actually sells, and deal with the trademark office until it is registered. UK trademark registration and international registration.
Protect
A registration is only worth something if it is watched and enforced. We monitor the register for conflicting applications, handle oppositions and cease and desist letters, and take down copycats online. Trademark monitoring and cease and desist.
Where a matter needs a solicitor or a regulated trademark attorney, for example court proceedings, we bring in our panel of regulated partners and stay your point of contact.
Our people
The team you speak to is the team that does the work.
Jonathan Paton
Founder & CEO
Jonathan formed The Trademark Helpline in 2008. He came to trademarks from financial services, having founded his first company in 2004 and sold it in 2007, and his focus at TMH is making trademark protection affordable at every budget, across more than 4,000 UK filings. His view is that a trademark is not a cost and not insurance, but an asset that can make a business money and save it money.
Matthew Griffiths
Commercial Director
Matt works one to one with clients, manages TMH’s UK and international partnerships, and oversees onboarding and delivery. Much of his time goes on infringement: businesses that have been sent a cease and desist letter with no trademark to fall back on, and clients whose brand has been copied. Before trademarks he spent ten years in property as the client relationship manager for more than 400 clients.
Alex Pugh
Brand Protection Consultant
Alex has been with TMH since 2021. He manages new clients and international applications, and sits on hearings and tribunals defending clients’ marks. His areas are dispute resolution, acquired distinctiveness and international filings, and he runs a full brand audit before any application, because the aim is a mark that survives, not simply an application that gets sent.
Laura Spencer
Paralegal
Laura handles the drafting, review and filing of trademark applications, and is the person clients speak to as an application progresses. She researches and gathers the evidence behind opposition and infringement cases, and monitors client brands for infringing social accounts. She has worked in the legal sector since 2018.
Saad Ashraf
Marketing Manager
Saad runs TMH’s marketing across email, social media, content, direct mail and outbound campaigns, and looks after the CRM and trademark data behind them. He writes about the practical use of AI, marketing automation and customer journeys.
What clients say
“The service levels of The Trademark Helpline have massively exceeded my expectations. I have been very impressed and I would have no hesitation in recommending The Trademark Helpline.”
Brad Mitri, Director, Dracorp
“We were unaware of monitoring services before being contacted, but the monitoring service has proven to be incredibly valuable. Within the first month, it identified a trademark infringement which led to prompt action and the curtailing of the infringement.”
Rame Consulting Limited
“The service we have received has been really good from The Trademark Helpline, I have been very impressed and I have not had to think about getting the trademark at all which is really important to me.”
Mark Egan, Director, Riva Beauty Services
Read the full stories of Isabel’s Free From and Boo Consulting, or see all our client reviews.
Contact us
- Phone: 0161 833 5400
- Email: enquiries@thetrademarkhelpline.com
- Office: Craven Business Centre, 4-5 Craven Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 5DY (Trafford, Greater Manchester)
More ways to reach us, and our registered details, are on the contact page. You can also browse our trademark FAQs and the Knowledge Hub.
Talk to the team
Book a free 15-minute call with a specialist. Bring your name or logo and we’ll tell you where you stand.
