UK Trademarks

A UK trademark registration provides protection in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What we need from you:

• Details of your trademark. If it contains a logo or is stylised then we need to see it, if possible, in electronic format.
• A list of your goods and services.
• Information on where you want to use it.
• Details of who will own it, name, address, and country of domicile, if a corporation the country/state of incorporation.
• Details of where the mark been filed elsewhere (if applicable), including the date of filing as this will assist us in determining if you can claim a priority date.

Filing your mark

The official fees have to be paid in order for the application to proceed to the examination stage. However, you can defer payment for up to two months after filing in the UK.

What happens once your UK Trademark Application is filed?

The Registry issues an examination report within approximately two months of fee payment. During this time the Registry examines the application on several grounds, including whether it is capable of being a trademark, and searches for earlier trademarks that may conflict. Assuming there aren’t any objections raised, the application is advertised for three months to enable third parties to oppose its registration. The average timescale to achieve registration of a relatively trouble free trade mark application is six to nine months.

What happens once the mark is registered?

The mark remains on the register for a period of ten years.  It can then be renewed and we will contact you at the appropriate time inviting you to pay the renewal fees. 

Use it or risk losing it!

Trademarks must be used to remain validly registered.  Where they haven’t been used for a continuous period of five years from the date of registration they become vulnerable to cancellation by third parties and cannot be relied upon, for example, in UK opposition proceedings. The use made of them can also be taken into consideration where they are relied upon in Community opposition proceedings and the ability to implement the rights in them may be limited accordingly.

Changes to your trademark

Trademarks evolve and are altered over time. However, changes to a mark can render the registration unenforceable, so we need to see any such alterations. As part of our on-going service, we can conduct periodic reviews of your marks and advise you accordingly.