UK Trademark Registration
Register your UK Trademark today with our fast and reliable service
Is UK Trademark Registration right for you?
If your business operates only in the United Kingdom and you don’t plan to expand outside the country, UK trademark registration is the quickest and cheapest way to ensure legal exclusivity for the use of your name.
Start protecting your brand, name, logo or tagline with a free trademark search:
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Benefits of UK Trademark Registration
Give your UK brand the protection it needs for significantly lower investment than its EU counterpart.
Deter trademark trawlers.
Prevent other individuals or businesses from passing off or trying to trade on your good will.
Give you the right to use your mark on the goods and services in the classes for which it is registered.
Strengthen your business’s brand.
Give you the legal right to take action against anyone who uses your mark or a similar variant, for similar goods and services to those which are set out in your registration
What our customers think
I cannot recommend The Trademark Helpline highly enough. From the very beginning, the process of registering my trademark with them was smooth and stress-free. Their expertise and communication were excellent – they kept me informed every step of the way and were always happy to answer any questions I had. A special thanks to Alex for his fantastic work in securing my trademark. His professionalism and attention to detail were truly impressive. Thanks to The Trademark Helpline, I now have the peace of mind that my brand is protected. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone needing assistance with trademarks. Best wishes, Isabel
“Thank you so much to everyone at The Trademark Helpline, you have all been terrific! I have received a very thorough and professional service and Richard even assisted me with the design and branding of my company, he really went the extra mile. So thank you all very, very much!”
“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.”
“The Trademark Helpline provided us with a thorough and professional service when we registered our trademark. Shortly afterwards they notified us of a potential infringement on our mark via the monitoring service. The speed and professionalism with which Ric successfully resolved the issue on our behalf was impressive and this work was dealt with promptly at a very affordable cost!
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UK Trademark Information
How will having a UK Trademark benefit you?
Registering a UK trademark is the best way for businesses and individuals to protect their brand and intellectual property in the UK. The key advantages include:
Exclusive Rights
A registered UK trademark gives you exclusive rights to use the mark in connection with the goods or services for which it is registered. This means you’re your competitors cannot legally use your brand name, logo, or other registered elements without permission. From the moment you apply to register your mark you have a level of protection.
Brand Protection
Registering a UK Trademark protects your brand identity by preventing others from using identical or confusingly similar trademarks, helping you build and maintain a distinctive brand in the marketplace.
Legal Recourse
If someone infringes on your trademark, you have legal grounds to take action against them. This includes the ability to petition for damages through court and stop the infringing use.
Asset Value
Your UK trademark is a valuable business asset. It can increase in value as your business grows and can be sold, licensed, or franchised, providing additional opportunities to grow and expand your business.
Deterrence
Having your UK trademark registered can deter potential infringers, as it makes clear that your brand is legally protected, this will reduce the likelihood of unauthorized use of your brand.
Nationwide Protection
A UK trademark registration provides protection throughout the entire United Kingdom, giving you a legal basis to enforce your rights across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Use as a Basis for International Registration
Your UK trademark can serve as a foundation for registering your trademark in other countries through mechanisms like the Madrid Protocol, streamlining the process for global trademark or brand protection.
Customer Recognition and Trust
Your UK trademark reinforces your brand's credibility and will help consumers identify the source of goods and services. This can increase customer loyalty and build trust in your business.
Trademark Symbol Use
Once your trademark is registered, you can use the ® symbol, indicating that your mark is protected and giving it additional authority and legitimacy to your brand.
What’s the process when you apply to register a UK Trademark?
Applying to register a UK trademark involves several key steps to ensure that your brand, logo, or slogan is protected under UK law. Here’s how the process works:
1. Pre-Application Steps
Check for Eligibility:
The first thing we advise on his eligibility, this involves ensuring that your trademark is distinctive and doesn’t fall into categories that are difficult or impossible to register (such as generic terms, offensive words, or misleading marks). We regularly register UK trademarks for names, logos, symbols, phrases, sounds, and even colors, as long as they are distinctive.
Choose the Right Class:
Trademarks are categorized by "classes" that correspond to different goods or services. This has been know as a potential “trademark banana skin” as it’s important to define your current business activity whilst also having an eye on areas you may expand into in the future. We will help you to select the appropriate class(es) for your UK trademark. The UK uses the Nice Classification system, which includes 45 different classes.
Conduct a Search:
Before applying, our UK Trademark specialist carry out an extensive search (Brand Audit) on existing trademark’s, companies, website domain names and social media accounts to ensure that what you have is unique. We then present the Audit to you and make you aware of any results or conflicting marks that could prevent your registration so you can make an informed decision.
2. Filing the UK Trademark Application
Applying for your trademark
We will submit your UK trademark application online through the UKIPO website as this is the quickest and most cost effective route to registering your UK trademark.
Provide Required Information:
When UK Trademark filling, we will submit the following:
- The name and address of the applicant, this can be a company or an individual, if you are unclear as to which you should use this is something we will advise you on.
- A representation of the trademark (such as an image or the text).
- A description of the goods or services you want the trademark to cover, classified under the appropriate Nice classes.
- Payment of the application fee.
The basic UK Trademark Filing Fees
for one class is £170 (online), with an additional £50 for each extra class.
Provide Required Information:
When filing, we will submit the following:
- The name and address of the applicant, this can be a company or an individual, if you are unclear as to which you should use this is something we will advise you on.
- A representation of the trademark (such as an image or the text).
- A description of the goods or services you want the trademark to cover, classified under the appropriate Nice classes.
- Payment of the application fee.
The basic filing fee for one class is £170 (online), with an additional £50 for each extra class.
3. Examination
Formal Examination:
The UK IPO examines your application to ensure it meets formal requirements (e.g., all necessary information and fees have been provided).
Substantive Examination:
The UK IPO will check if the trademark complies with legal requirements and whether it conflicts with any existing trademarks. They will also assess whether the mark is sufficiently distinctive.
If the UK IPO finds an issue, they may issue a preliminary refusal or provide us with an opportunity to address any objections.
4. Publication
If the application passes the examination, the trademark will be published in the UK Trademarks Journal. This is an important step because it allows third parties to oppose your application if they believe it infringes on their existing rights.
Opposition Period:
There is a two-month opposition period (which can be extended to three months) during which any party can file an opposition to your trademark registration. If opposition is filed, the UK IPO will give both parties the opportunity to submit evidence and arguments, and the case may proceed to a hearing which as your representatives we can appear for.
5. Registration
Presuming no opposition is filed or the opposition is resolved in your favor, your trademark will proceed to registration.
You will receive a Certificate of Registration, and your trademark will be protected for 10 years from the date of filing.
6. Post-Registration
Renewal:
Your trademark needs to be renewed every 10 years. We offer optional automatic renewal services to ensure your trademark doesn’t expire, you can renew it indefinitely, as long as you continue to use the mark and pay the renewal fees.
Monitoring and Enforcement:
After registration, it is your responsibility to monitor and enforce your trademark rights, however we offer monitoring and representation services to ensure that nobody either deliberately imposes on your UK trademark. We can take enforcement action against anyone who uses your trademark without permission and legal action if required.
Timeline
The entire process typically takes 4 to 6 months, assuming there are no objections or opposition. However, delays may occur if complications arise.