UK trade mark application

What's included

• £205 UK IPO online application fee for one class
• Clearance search of the UK trade mark register for identical and similar marks
• Written summary of what the search found
• Practical guidance on choosing classes
• Help wording your specification of goods and services
• Preparation and online filing of the application
• Monitoring through UK IPO examination
• Monitoring through the 2-month opposition period
• Forwarding of any UK IPO letters with a plain-English explanation
• Registration certificate sent to you
• Renewal date reminder

What a UK trade mark protects

A registered trade mark gives you the exclusive right to use a name, logo or slogan for the goods and services listed in your application, across the UK. It is separate from your company name: registering a company at Companies House does not stop another business using the same name as a brand.

A UK registration lasts 10 years and can be renewed. It covers the UK only. If you trade abroad, you may need protection in other countries as well.

Classes and the specification

Every application lists the goods and services the mark will protect. These are grouped into numbered classes: for example, clothing is one class, software is another, and restaurant services another. The UK IPO fee is charged per class.

Inside each class you write a specification: the exact goods and services you use the mark for. This wording matters. Too narrow and you may not be protected for something you sell next year. Too broad and you raise the chance of objections or oppositions, and you may struggle to defend parts of it you never use.

We help you choose the classes and word the specification so it fits what your business actually does. If you need more than one class, each extra class costs £150, including the £60 UK IPO fee. See Trade Mark Additional Class.

How it works

1. You tell us the mark (a word, a logo or both) and what your business sells or plans to sell.
2. We search the UK register for identical and similar marks in the relevant classes and send you a summary.
3. We agree the classes and specification wording with you.
4. You approve the final application and we file it online with the UK IPO.
5. The UK IPO examines it, usually within about 2 weeks.
6. If there are no objections, it is published in the Trade Marks Journal for a 2-month opposition period.
7. If nobody opposes, the mark is registered and we send you the certificate.

What you need to provide

• the exact word mark, or a clear image of the logo
• the owner's name and address (your company or you personally)
• a description of your goods and services, with your website if you have one
• any countries outside the UK where you trade or plan to

Why use us rather than filing yourself

You can file directly with the UK IPO. Most problems come from what happens before filing: not checking for similar marks, choosing the wrong owner, or writing a specification that does not match the business. Once filed, the specification can be narrowed but not widened, and the fee is not refunded if the application fails.

Our Edinburgh team does the search, explains what we find in plain English and prepares the application with you. We are a Companies House Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), so we can also make sure the owner details match your company records. If you are forming a company at the same time, see our Digital Package.

What we do not do

We are not solicitors or chartered trade mark attorneys. Our search and guidance are practical, not legal advice, and no search can guarantee that an application will succeed or that nobody will object. If the UK IPO raises a serious objection, someone files an opposition, or you are in a dispute over a mark, we refer you to a chartered trade mark attorney.

Common mistakes

• Filing in the name of a director when the company will use the brand, or the other way round
• Copying a long list of terms from the class heading instead of describing your real goods and services
• Filing a logo when the name is what you most need to protect
• Assuming a registered company name or domain name gives the same protection
• Missing the 10-year renewal date

Frequently asked questions

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