Names and logos: Trade marks
One of the best ways of protecting your brand, name and logo from being copied is to register a A distinctive sign used by a business to distinguish its goods and/or services from those sold by another business.. This makes it easier to enforce your rights and be aware of others trying to register similar branding to yours. This section will help you to understand how, why and where to register a A distinctive sign used by a business to distinguish its goods and/or services from those sold by another business. and how to search for and understand others’ Distinctive signs used by businesses to distinguish their goods and/or services from those sold by other businesses.. You will also learn who owns Distinctive signs used by businesses to distinguish their goods and/or services from those sold by other businesses. created by people working for you, and how to monitor for A distinctive sign used by a business to distinguish its goods and/or services from those sold by another business. infringements.
Identifying a trade mark in business situations
- 1.What is a trade mark?
- 2.How do I know if something is a trade mark?
- 3.Should I register my company name or logo as a trade mark?
- 4.What can I register as a trade mark?
- 5.What does the requirement that the trade mark is capable of clear representation in the application mean?
- 6.What does the requirement that the trade mark application must be distinctive mean?
- 7.What is the list of prohibited or objectionable trade mark types?
Preparing to register a trade mark
- 8.What should I do before I apply to register a trade mark?
- 9.Where should I register my trade mark?
- 10.Should I apply for a trade mark in the UK?
- 11.Should I apply for an EU trade mark?
- 12.Should I apply for an international trade mark?
- 13.How do I decide what mark or marks to register?
- 14.How do I decide what products and services I want my trade mark to cover?
- 15.How do I check my proposed trade mark or marks are not too similar to any existing or recent expired trade marks?
Searching for registered trade marks that apply in the UK
- 16.How do I search for trade marks and trade mark applications that apply in the UK?
- 17.How do I make sure I find all relevant results when using the UK IPO trade mark search function?
- 18.How do I search for EU trade marks and trade mark applications by owner of the trade mark?
- 19.Can I upload an image of my trade mark and search for similar registered trade marks?
- 20.How do I search for registered international trade marks by owner of the trade mark?
- 21.How do I search for international trade mark applications?
Understanding trade mark search results
- 22.How do I understand the results of a trade mark search?
- 23.What does the trade mark number mean?
- 24.What does the trade mark status 'registered' mean?
- 25.What does the trade mark status 'expired' mean?
- 26.What does the trade mark status 'dead' mean?
- 27.What does the trade mark status 'examination' mean?
- 28.What does the trade mark status 'application published' mean?
- 29.What does the trade mark status 'opposed' mean?
- 30.What does the class or classification of a trade mark mean?
- 31.What does the filing date in a trade mark registration mean?
- 32.What does the date of entry in register in a trade mark registration mean?
- 33.What does the renewal date in a trade mark registration mean?
- 34.What do the priority details in a trade mark registration mean?
- 35.What do the seniority details in a trade mark registration mean?
- 36.What happens if my proposed trade mark is similar to someone else's trade mark?
- 37.How can I tell whether a competitor might object to my trade mark application?
The trade mark registration process
- 38.When should I register my trade mark?
- 39.How long will it take me to register a trade mark?
- 40.How much will it cost me to register my trade mark?
- 41.How much will it cost me to register my trade mark in the UK?
- 42.How much will it cost me to register my trade mark in the EU?
- 43.How much will it cost me to register an international trade mark?
- 44.Do I need to use a lawyer to help me register my trade mark?
Registering a trade mark in the UK, the EU and internationally
- 45.How do I register a trade mark in the UK?
- 46.What happens if anyone objects to my UK trade mark application?
- 47.How do I register an EU trade mark?
- 48.What happens if someone objects to my EU trade mark application?
- 49.What effect did Brexit have on my EU trade mark?
- 50.How do I register a trade mark internationally?
Changing and renewing a trade mark (UK, EU or international)
Employees and trade marks
- 55.Who owns the trade marks for works created by employees?
- 56.What can I do to ensure my business owns the trade marks for works created by employees?
- 57.How do I include appropriate clauses in employment contracts to ensure my business owns the trade marks for works created by employees?
- 58.How can I register a trade mark to ensure my business owns the intellectual property created by employees?
- 59.What can I do to make sure works protected by trade mark belonging to my business are not stolen or misused by my employees?
- 60.How long can my business keep works created by employees that have been registered as trade marks?
- 61.Do I have to give credit to or pay employees for trade marks they create for me?
Freelancers and consultants and trade marks
- 62. Who owns the trade marks for works created by consultants and freelancers?
- 63.What can I do to ensure my business owns trade marks for works created by consultants and freelancers?
- 64.How do I include appropriate clauses in contracts to ensure my business owns the trade marks for works created by consultants or freelancers?
- 65.How can I register a trade mark to ensure my business owns the intellectual property created by consultants or freelancers?
- 66.What can I do to make sure works protected by trade mark belonging to my business are not stolen or misused by consultants or freelancers?
Trade marks commissioned from another business
- 67.Who owns the trade marks for works I have bought, outsourced or commissioned?
- 68.What can I do to ensure my business owns trade marks for works I have bought, outsourced or commissioned?
- 69.How do I include appropriate clauses in contracts to ensure my business owns trade marks for works created by commissioned businesses?
- 70.How can I register a trade mark to ensure my business owns the intellectual property created by commissioned businesses?
- 71.What can I do to make sure works protected by trade mark belonging to my business are not stolen or misused by commissioned businesses?
Monitoring for trade mark infringement
- 72.How do I know if my trade mark has been infringed?
- 73.What is counterfeiting?
- 74.How do I monitor for counterfeiting?
- 75.Can I hire someone to monitor counterfeiting for me?
- 76.What should I do if I discover someone has counterfeited my product?
- 77.How do I monitor for businesses being set up with a name or branding similar to mine?
- 78.Can I hire someone else to monitor for businesses being set up with a name or branding similar to mine?
- 79.What should I do if I discover that a business has been set up with a name or branding similar to mine?
- 80.When can I object to another person's UK trade mark application?
- 81.What happens after I have sent my objection to a trade mark application to the UK IPO?
- 82.How does the UK IPO decide whether my objection is valid?
- 83.What is a cooling off period for a UK trade mark objection and why would I want one?
- 84.When can I object to an EU trade mark application?
- 85.How much does it cost to object to an EU trade mark application?
- 86.What happens after I submit an opposition to an EU trade mark application on earlier right grounds?
- 87.What happens after I submit an opposition to an EU trade mark application on absolute grounds?
Step-by-step guide to applying for a UK trade mark online
This step-by-step guide to applying for a UK trade mark online tells you how to apply online to register a UK trade mark. If your application is straightforward, you can usually make the application yourself (without needing a lawyer). Use this guide to assist you with completing each field of the UK online trade mark application, including who is applying for the trade mark, owner details, description and class of the trade mark, priority date, type of trade mark, and more. This step-by-step guide to applying for a UK trade mark online can save you time, by helping you to complete the form correctly (which reduces the risk of follow up questions from the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO)). If you would prefer to apply for your UK trade mark by post using a paper form, see Step-by-step guide to filling in the UK trade mark application form . You can also buy this guide as part of the Protecting IP and confidential information toolkit .
£10 + VAT
Step-by-step guide to filling in the UK trade mark application form
This step-by-step guide to filling in the UK trade mark application form guides you through the process of completing the paper application form for applying for a UK trade mark (Form TM3). This can be emailed to the IPO as a PDF, or posted. You will need to complete various details, such as owner details, description and class of trade mark, type of trade mark, priority date, and more. Usually you can apply for the trade mark yourself if your application is straightforward (without the need for a lawyer). Completing the UK trade mark application form correctly will reduce the risk of follow up questions from the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) which saves you time. Note that alternatively you can apply online for a UK trade mark, which is cheaper. See Step-by-step guide to applying for a UK trade mark online . You can also buy this guide as part of the Protecting IP and confidential information toolkit .
£10 + VAT
See all solutions