should i trademark my business name uk

1. For other advice and assistance in respect of the protection of your trade mark or any brand-related issues, contact Groom Wilkes & Wright. Now you’re asking yourself, “how do I register my business name”? Every company has a trade mark. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Copyright 2019 Boost Capital Limited. To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Your business name can form the core of your brand, and it can also create serious trademark issues. If you have created a trademark or service mark for your business, you should register that mark in the U.S. Failure to register or keep your mark registered can leave it vulnerable to appropriation by companies whose only interests are often to exploit you in your desire to get it back. How to register a business name in the UK Congratulations, you’ve decided to start a business! A trademark is a form of intellectual property which is used to distinguish products or services coming from one source from products and services coming from another. Typically, you will save time and money in the long run by filing a federal trademark application and establishing trademark … Choosing a name is not as straightforward as you think. By browsing our site you agree to our use of cookies. While it worked out fine for Whether you have current customers in the United Kingdom or you plan to expand there in the future, it is a good idea to trademark your business name in the UK since it is such a common trading partner with the United States. The name of your company may be your most important business asset—it tells people who you are and what you do. The primary reason for the registration of company names is linked with a lesser liability than sole traders as liability is limited only to the extent of investment in shareholding. Although the registration of trade marks can be complicated, it need not be expensive. If you want to stop someone else using your name in any other part of the European Union you should consider a Community Trade Mark (CTM) application at the Community Trade Mark office. Read on to see if what protections might be available for your business. Although federal registration of a mark is not mandatory, it has several advantages, including notice to the public of the registrant's claim of ownership of the mark, legal presumption of ownership nationwide, and exclusive right to use the mark on or in connection with the goods/services listed in the registration. Should I Trademark My Business Name? The official fees for a UK registration are just £200, and for a Community Trade Mark they can be less than £1000. Once registered, you can use the ® symbol to show that your brand and logo are protected. By registering your trademark you are effectively building a barrier to entry around your brand, making it harder for other businesses … 4. Registered trademarks can … If you are looking to protect a business name the best way of doing it, in fact the only legally valid way to protect business names is by way of trademark registration.In short, the answer to how to protect a business name is to register it … It is important to ensure that your business is appropriately protected against competition. However, Christina also recommends you consider trademark registration when your business picks up traction, given the costs associated with registration. As trademark attorneys, we often have enquiries from people who are launching a business and want to register a business or product name, but are on such a tight budget that even a couple of hundred pounds spent on A trademark agent will conduct a search of registered and unregistered business names to provide you with an availability opinion. My number one reason I would advise a small business owner to trademark their name is simply that someone else might take the brand name you've worked so hard to build and you'll have to re-brand. Here is information regarding trademarks and restrictions on trademarking a personal name, including how to protect your it after registration. Registering a company name gives you no rights other than to stop someone else registering the exact same name at Companies House. To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. … © is intended for artistic works like books, paintings, songs or photographs, and isn’t appropriate for company or product names. Learn how to register a UK trademark and protect your business name, logo and brand. For the menu below: if you move through the content using the Tab key, sub-menus will expand for each item. Rights acquired through use are not very reliable – they are difficult to prove and expensive to enforce. Oftentimes, new business owners are confused about the difference between registering their business name with the state and filing for a trademark. March 15, 2019. Am I Required to Register My Business Name for Trademark? You’ve designed a logo to represent your business. How Can You Protect a Business Name? If you are unsure of how to trade mark a business name in the UK, read on for our do’s and don’ts on registering a trade mark to protect your brand: Trade mark registration tips You could be forgiven for thinking that when you register your company name or product with Companies House that it is covered as a trade mark. One thing to bear in mind is that just because your company name has been accepted for registration with Companies House, it doesn’t mean it’ll also be eligible for a registered trademark. Make sure you seek professional advice before making any important decisions. For example, I could register ‘Google Search Limited’ and Companies House wouldn’t stop me, but Google would be very upset, and I’d likely get a strongly worded letter from their lawyers . This is a hint at why most of the time you can’t trademark your book title. And this could be a problem if your company trades internationally. Sadly, this is wrong. In short, if you register a name which infringes a trademark, everything from business cards to your company t-shirts will need to be replaced which will be expensive and a significant disruption. If you’re stuck, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a trademark attorney as they can help outline the pros and cons specific to your company. You can apply to renew your trademark within six months of the expiry date (either side). UK trade mark searching can be carried out via the IPO website, where you can search by trade mark number, owner name and by keyword, phrase or image. Allow you to preserve near-complete control over your business name introduction ; how register. Logo are protected below: if you are just getting started, you technically trademark! Beneficial and protecting that name may also be crucial to the marks and intellectual your... Would that confusion be detrimental to your customers and other businesses from registering the same or! 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