Can a Trademark Be Split in Two? What a Dead GUINNESS Registration Shows About Brand Ownership
Search the UK register for GUINNESS and one of the results is dead. Two others are alive, carry the same filing date as the dead one, the same registration date, and belong to two different companies. That looks like a database problem. It isn’t. It’s a deliberate and fairly ordinary piece of trademark housekeeping, and […]
Can You Lose a Trademark If You Don’t Use It? Yes, and 2026 Has Made the Risk More Real
One of the worst times to discover that your trademark is weaker than you thought is the day you actually need it. Imagine somebody starts using a name that is uncomfortably close to yours. You have a registered UK trademark, so you contact them expecting the registration to put you in a strong position. Instead […]
Can Someone Steal My Business Name?
Somebody registering your business name out from under you sounds like the kind of thing that happens to other people. It happens more often than you would think, and it very rarely involves anyone doing anything sneaky. Most of the time it is a business that liked the name, checked it was free on the […]
Can a Sponsor or Licensee Damage Your Brand?
Can a sponsor or licensee damage your brand? What Burnley’s shirt deal shows, what UK law lets you control and what a trademark licensing agreement needs.
Do You Need a Trademark Before You Franchise Your Business?
Do you need a trademark before you franchise? Why the franchisor needs to own the brand, how franchisee licences work, and five checks to run before you sell.
What Is a TM7A Notice of Threatened Opposition?
A TM7A notice of threatened opposition gives someone an extra month to oppose your UK trademark. What it means and the opposition timeline, stage by stage.
What Happens After Your Trademark Is Registered?
What happens after trademark registration? Renewal every ten years, the five-year use rule, monitoring, the ® symbol, record changes and fake renewal letters.
Can You Update a Trademark When Your Business Changes?
Can you update a trademark? You cannot add goods or services to a UK registration. When a business change needs a new filing, and why an annual review helps.
Should You Trademark a Product Name as Well as Your Business Name?
Should you trademark a product name as well as your business name? What Coca-Cola’s SPRICY filing shows, which names to protect and when to file in the UK.
Should You Check a Name Can Be Trademarked Before You Rebrand?
Why a trademark check before a rebrand saves money: how to test whether a new name or logo can be registered, and what to do before the designer starts.
