Company Formation
Trademark registration in the UK: everything you need to know
With trademark registration, you can make sure that no one infringes on your business identity. It also gives businesses and professionals a sense of authenticity. But how do you get your trademark registered? Here, we've delineated the complex process of an international trade mark registration application for you.
A team of experts will get you the answers you need to get started with your business.
Trademark registration adds a sense of authenticity to your business. It also protects your business identity and all the things that make you unique by disallowing infringement from anyone else. Your clients will also trust you better and be ready to invest when they see how serious you are about your own company.
But what exactly is a trademark and how do you register one?
Let's find out how to register a trade mark without making it sound like rocket science!
What is a trademark & why is it so important
So, why bother with international trade marks in the first place?
Imagine spending endless hours and sleepless nights building your fresh business identity. You went the extra mile picking out the best color scheme, unique fonts, and most importantly, an eye-catchy logo.
The kind that would send waves of panic and jealousy across Pattrick Bateman's entire existence!
But then, someone rips it all off for their service?
Frustrating, right?
Well, that's what a trademark protects you against.
If you have a business trademark, you'll get to enjoy numerous perks. Plus, you'll also enjoy the protection of your identity-related rights (such as logo, color scheme, special fonts, etc.). But the daunting task of getting your trademark application approved means that fewer and fewer businesses act in regard to trade mark registration.
Here, we'll demystify trade mark registration so you can have a clear idea of what to expect when filing your applications!
A step-by-step guide for trademark registration
Here's a short 101 information guide on how you can register your trademark:
Step #1: Conducting a Thorough Trademark Search
As we mentioned earlier that no one else can use a trademark save for the person/company that owns it. Log onto the UK government's official site and use the trademark search tool to see if there's an existing trademark registered under the same name.
Remember, duplication is grounds for rejection of the trade mark registration application.
You'll either have to change yours or approach them for a buyout (if their trade mark is not in commercial use, for instance).
Next, you can file the trade marks application.
Step #2: determining trademark eligibility
If there are no duplicate trademarked services or goods providers (as yours), you can move on to the next step of the application. There are a total of 45 class distinctions that you can register as.
In trade marks, these class types reflect the type of work you do.
There are 34 goods-based class categories (i.e., retail businesses) and 11 services-based class categories (i.e., property/real estate services). You can register your trade mark in more than one class (for both goods and services) at a time if your company covers those dimensions.
Just see where your eligibility lies.
Registration applications for trademarks can be confusing; if you're not sure which categories best define your company, just ask for help!
Step #3: filing a successful application with the intellectual property office (IPO)
You can send trade marks application requests in the old-school way (via post) or make life easier for yourself and apply online. The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (IPO) doesn't mind either.
Just be sure to act fast so that someone else doesn't beat you to the trademark of your choice (you never know).
Your best bet here would be to hire a professional to apply online on your behalf and handle any revision requests. This way, you'll be able to free up your mind for things that matter and give your work the attention it needs.
This approach also smoothens the process of registering trademarks in the UK, European Union, and other countries. By smooth, we mean opposition-free from existing registered international trademark owners.
Otherwise, you can just follow the on-screen instructions on the IPO website and wait for their response. They may share objections/feedback on grounds of mistakes in your application or opposition from existing trademark owners.
Once you sort everything out, you'll get your registered trade mark — hurray!
You'll have to get a renewal for it every 10 years. Be sure to initiate things for the renewal months in advance (when the time comes) to avoid any issues. If you hire a registration service professional to register your new trademark and handle any renewal requests, things will become a whole lot easier for you.
How To avoid trademark registration issues
1. Start by researching your trademark
Before you act (if it is for a new trade mark), make sure you commit wholly to your research. By research, we're not talking about a simple Google search here (but you can start from there), instead, we're referring to the trademark searching tool. Is there an existing registered trade mark similar to yours? If so, you can strike a buyout deal with that company's owner (let's say if their trade mark is not under commercial use). Or you can change your own company's name. You must also explore other grounds for rejection and see if they can be a bother to you.
A team of experts will get you the answers you need to get started with your business.
