Knowledge Hub · Updated 13 October 2026
Trademark Knowledge Hub
Free, plain-English help with UK trademarks, from the team that has been registering and protecting brands for UK businesses since 2008.
Everything we publish is here in one place: step-by-step guides, answers to the questions business owners ask us most, trademark news, real client stories, scam warnings and short videos. Search for your question, filter by topic, or start with what other readers are looking at this week. If you can’t find what you need, ask us and a specialist will reply within one working day.
FAQ12 Oct 2026Is my company name automatically protected once it’s registered at Companies House?
No. Registering a company name at Companies House does not register it as a trademark or automatically give you exclusive rights to use it as a brand. A limited comp…
Could someone really register my business name and stop me using it?
Yes. The UK works on a first-to-file basis. If someone registers your name as a trademark before you do, they can hold the rights, even if you’ve traded under it for…
FAQ12 Oct 2026What actually happens if I never trademark my brand?
Possibly nothing happens immediately. The problem is that the need for trademark protection often becomes apparent only after the business has built something valuab…
FAQ12 Oct 2026Is it worth paying to trademark, or am I fine as I am?
Not every name needs to be registered as a trademark. The important question is what would happen to your business if you could no longer use the brand, or if somebo…
How much does it cost to register a trademark in the UK?
The UK IPO's official fee starts at £205 to register one class for ten years' protection, and rises with each additional class. That official fee is the cost of regi…
Can’t I just do it myself at the IPO?
You can file directly. But applications filed without professional input are almost twice as likely to be rejected at examination, usually over class selection or an…
Can’t I just copyright my business name instead?
No, and plenty of websites get this wrong. Copyright protects creative works like writing, music or artwork. It does not protect a name. To protect what your busines…
What are trademark classes, and which ones do I need?
Protection is divided into classes: defined groups of goods and services. You’re protected only in the classes you register, and they can’t be added later, so gettin…
FAQ12 Oct 2026When should I trademark, before or after I launch? Is it ever too late?
Not every business name needs to be registered as a trademark. If your brand, including your name, logo or tagline, is unique and important to your plans, you should…
How long does registration take, and am I exposed while I wait?
In a straightforward case, around four months from filing, assuming no examiner objection and no third-party opposition. Importantly, your protection dates back to y…
Should I register outside the UK too?
A UK trademark stops at the UK border. If you sell, or plan to sell, abroad, applying internationally within six months of your UK filing lets you claim your UK fili…
What makes up the cost of a trademark?
There are two parts. Official register fees are set by each trademark office, rise with the number of classes you cover, and are paid straight to the office. Profess…
What is not included in a fixed trademark application price?
Renewals, which normally fall due every ten years, are not included, and neither is monitoring, or enforcing and defending the trademark if somebody tries to copy or…
How much is the brand audit before filing a trademark?
Our Brand Audit with review and consultation is normally £298, but you pay £99. The £99 is deducted from your fees if you choose us to register the trademark. If we…
Why does one trademark cost more than another?
Two things drive the number: classes and territories. Each extra class of goods or services adds to the official fee, and a UK registration protects the UK only, so…
What is the difference between a registered design and a trademark?
A trademark protects your brand name, logo or slogan. A registered design protects how a product looks: its shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation, including…
How long does a UK registered design last?
A UK registered design can last up to 25 years, but it has to be renewed every five years to stay valid. That is different from a trademark, which renews every ten y…
How many designs can go in one UK design application?
A single UK application can include between one and ten designs, provided they fall within the same Locarno class. Each visually distinct version, such as a differen…
How long does it take to register a design in the UK?
Design registration is usually much faster than a trademark, often within two to three weeks, compared with a minimum of three to four months for a trademark. The pr…
FAQ12 Oct 2026Do I need separate UK and EU trademarks after Brexit?
If your brand matters in both the UK and the European Union, you generally need trademark protection covering both territories. A UK trademark does not protect you t…
What happens to my EU trademark if a country leaves the EU?
It only affects you if a country you rely on leaves, and the Brexit precedent is reassuring. When the UK left, the EUIPO and the UK IPO arranged for every existing E…
Can I convert my UK trademark into an EU trademark?
Not directly, they are separate rights, so you file a fresh EU application. The useful part is that if you file in the EU within six months of your UK filing date, y…
Do I need a UK trademark before applying for an EU one?
No. An EUTM is independent and you can file it directly. For a UK business it is often sensible to register in the UK first, since that is your home market, but it i…
How long does an EU trademark application take?
In a straightforward case with no opposition, usually around four to six months from filing through to registration. We give you a realistic timeline at the outset a…
Does an EU trademark cover the UK, Switzerland or Norway?
No. An EUTM covers the 27 EU member states only. The UK needs its own registration since Brexit, and non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Norway and Turkey each nee…
How much does an EU trademark cost?
The EUIPO official fee starts at €850 for one class filed online, with €50 for a second class and €150 for each further class. We confirm the exact official fees for…
Can a business outside the UK register an EU trademark through you?
Yes. A business based anywhere in the world that sells into Europe can protect its brand across all 27 EU states with one EUTM through us, with a single UK based poi…
FAQ12 Oct 2026Does a UK trademark protect me everywhere I sell, worldwide?
No. A UK trademark protects your brand in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. It does not automatically protect you in other countries, including places where yo…
How long does international trademark registration take?
It varies by country, but as a rough guide, many markets take somewhere between 6 and 18 months if there are no objections. Some are faster, some much slower. We giv…
How much does an international trademark cost?
There is no single figure, because every country sets its own official fee, from around RMB 300 in China to several hundred pounds in the US, EU or Canada. On top of…
Can I claim priority based on my UK trademark?
Yes. If you file abroad within six months of your UK filing date, you can usually claim that earlier UK date as your priority date. It does not guarantee acceptance,…
What if my application is rejected in one country?
A rejection in one country does not affect your registrations in the others. With local representation we can usually respond to the objection, amend the specificati…
Do I need to renew each country separately?
Trademarks generally renew every ten years, but the detail varies by country. In the United States, for example, you renew every ten years, and you must also file pr…
Which countries are not covered by the Madrid Protocol?
Most major economies are members, but some are not, so they need a direct national filing. Taiwan is not part of the system, and Hong Kong is not covered by mainland…
What is the difference between WIPO and a country’s trademark office?
The name is a little misleading. WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization, is a United Nations agency based in Geneva, not a trademark office, and it canno…
Can I apply internationally without a UK trademark first?
For a Madrid application you need a home application or registration to base it on, which for a UK business is usually the UK mark. You can file directly in individu…
What kinds of names can be protected as a trademark?
A trademark can protect a business name, a product name, a brand name or the name behind a domain. Registering a company at Companies House or buying a domain does n…
Do I need to trademark a product name as well as my business name?
It depends where the value sits. If customers buy the house brand, protecting the business name may be enough. If individual product names carry their own recognitio…
What are the benefits of registering a trademark?
A registered trademark strengthens your brand and gives a solid foundation for building the company's reputation. It secures the exclusive right to own and use the m…
Is registering a trademark the only way to get exclusive rights to a name?
Yes. It is a common misconception that registering a company at Companies House gives the same security as a trademark. It does not. Companies House records a legal…
Does a trademark protect my name in every industry?
No. A trademark gives exclusive rights in the classes of goods and services it is registered for. Another business may be able to use the same name in an unrelated a…
Can my company name infringe someone else's trademark?
Yes. Companies House does not check the trademark register, so it can accept a company name that another business has already registered as a trademark. If that happ…
How can a sole trader protect a business name?
Sole traders and partnerships do not register their business name anywhere, so without a trademark the only protection is a passing off claim. That means proving you…
Can I trademark a business name that describes what I do?
Usually not. Names that simply describe the business, such as Best Plumbing or Manchester Accountants, are normally refused. Distinctive, invented or unexpected name…
Is it better to register a business name as words or as a logo?
Start with the name as words. A word trademark protects the name in any lettering, colour or design, while a logo registration protects only that particular design,…
What are the main steps to registering a UK trademark?
Most applications follow the same path. Search the register first, including for similar names, then decide what to protect and in which classes of goods and service…
Why is a trademark worth more than a registered company name?
Companies House and the trademark register are separate systems. Registering a company stops another company incorporating under the identical name, but it does not…
How often are UK trademark applications opposed?
Formal opposition is relatively rare. Figures drawn from the public UK register, covering a settled group of 1,340,875 marks filed between 2015 and 2023, show around…
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Trademark advice by topic
Check and plan
Search the register, choose the right classes and check a name before you file.
See all guides →Manage and protect
Monitoring, renewals and representation once your trademark is registered.
See all guides →Trademark disputes
Oppositions, cancellations, cease and desist letters and online takedowns.
See all guides →The people behind the answers
Our authors
Jonathan PatonFounder & CEOBrand protection strategy for UK businesses since 2008.
Matthew GriffithsCommercial DirectorClient work and our UK and international partnerships.
Alex PughBrand Protection ConsultantNew clients, international applications and hearings.
Laura SpencerParalegalDrafting, filing and progressing applications.
Saad AshrafMarketing ManagerMarketing and the trademark data behind our guides.
