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.
Article27 Aug 2026What Happens to a Trademark in Administration?
What happens to a trademark in administration? Who owns it, how administrators sell brands, what buyers really get and why recording the transfer matters.
Article17 Sep 2026Who Should Own a Trademark: You or Your Company?
Should you or your company own the trademark? Learn how personal, company, holding company and joint ownership affect control, licensing and sale.
Article17 Sep 2026Trademarks When Selling or Buying a Business
A buyer isn’t just buying your sales and customer list, they’re buying the right to keep trading under your brand. What to check before a sale, on either side.
Article2 Sep 2026If Your Business Partner Walked Tomorrow, Who Owns the Brand Name?
Whoever is named on the register owns the trademark, not whoever built the brand. What happens when a co-founder leaves, and how to fix ownership before it matters.
Article20 Aug 2026Can a Trademark Be Split in Two? What a Dead GUINNESS Registration Shows About Brand Ownership
One GUINNESS registration became two, owned by different Diageo companies, with the 2001 filing date intact. How partial assignment works and when it matters.
Article14 Aug 2026Can 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.
Article11 Aug 2026Do 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.
Article4 Jun 2026150 Years of UK Trademarks. What Actually Makes a Brand Last?
What do Rolls Royce, Cadbury, Marmite, Twinings and the BBC all have in common? Most people would probably say heritage. Reputation. Recognition. They would…
Article9 Apr 2026It May Not be a Trademark that You Need!
When first meeting potential clients a common situation is whether what they need is a Trademark or a Patent. The two are similar in…
Article6 Mar 2026Why We’re Adding Business Finance, Corporate Restructuring and Tax Planning to Our Annual Reviews
At The Trademark Helpline, one of the hardest parts of working closely with businesses over many years is seeing good businesses run into difficulty.…
Article23 Feb 2026Business Finance. Is It All a Scam?
After more than 18 years in the Trademark business, I have seen one brutal truth play out again and again. Most businesses do not…
Article27 Jan 2026The Power of Niching Down: What Jet Washing Taught Me About Building a Brand
Discover how niching and value-added services can turn simple jobs like jet washing into profitable opportunities, and why the same thinking matters for trademarks.
Article14 Jan 2026How The Right Trademark Representation Saves Businesses Money at Every Stage of Trademark Protection
Learn how The Trademark Helpline reduces trademark costs at every stage, from searches and registration to monitoring and enforcement, with fixed and transparent fees.
Article15 Dec 2025How The Trademark Helpline Saves Businesses Money at Every Stage of Trademark Protection
Protecting a brand usually involves a few key steps: searching, registering, monitoring and, if needed, dealing with oppositions and copycats. Traditionally, most of…
Article7 May 2025Hints, Tips and Tales #12: We Dropped a Bollock with Our WhatsApp
It may be bold but as a founder who is committed to sharing his business journey, I think it’s important that The Trademark Helpline…
Article12 Mar 2025Are You Spending Too Much Time on the Small Stuff?
The Golf Ball Theory – A Simple Way to Prioritise Your Time A well-known analogy explains how we choose to prioritise our time and…
Article17 Dec 2024Financial Services, where brands don’t matter but trademarks still do
Can you think of one financial services brand that you truly love? In the finance industry, branding often takes a backseat to reputation, trust,…
Article16 Dec 2024The Power of a Trademark as a Mark of Approval
See that pink stamp on our logo? One day soon, we hope that stamp will be the symbol of quality trademark advice. A trademark…
Article22 Oct 2024How can Partnerships and Collaborations support your brands growth?
Chapter 7 - The Power of Trademarks in Modern Marketing Partnerships and collaborations are done across all sectors, some more noticeable than others. In…
Article22 Oct 2024How can your Brand engage customers and build loyalty?
Chapter 6 - The Power of Trademarks in Modern Marketing It all comes down the Know, Like, Trust model or our preference: Visibility –…
Article22 Oct 2024How can you use your trademark as a Marketing and Promotional Tool?
Chapter 5 - The Power of Trademarks in Modern Marketing If you’ve ever worked with marketing agencies, or even have in-house marketing team, you’ll…
Article11 Sep 2024Apple, the MEGA brand – Legal rights and exclusivity
https://www.youtube.com/embed/oS2AERbIoWE Chapter 4 - The Power of Trademarks in Modern Marketing Apple’s Secret to Protecting Their Brand- Learn from the Best If yo…
Article11 Sep 2024MARVEL Studios show us how trademarks used well can become your biggest revenue stream
Chapter 3 - The Power of Trademarks in Modern Marketing Swapping Thor’s Hammer for Thor’s Lunchbox So how can trademarks and by trademarks, open…
Article11 Sep 2024Learning from Coca-Cola – How can a trademark not only protect your brand but also help you generate more revenue?
Chapter 2 - The Power of Trademarks in Modern Marketing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WMCSzsl0vU A UK trademark can be turned into buckets of gold if you do…
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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.
