Register a trade mark in UK
You can register your trade mark to protect your brand, for example the name of your product or service.
When you register your trade mark, you’ll be able to:
- take legal action against anyone who uses your brand without your permission, including counterfeiters
- put the ® symbol next to your brand – to show that it’s yours and warn others against using it
- sell and license your brand
What you can register
Your trade mark can include:
- words
- sounds
- logos
- colours
- a combination of any of these
What you cannot register
Your trade mark cannot:
- be offensive, for example contain swear words or pornographic images
- describe the goods or services it will relate to, for example the word ‘cotton’ cannot be a trade mark for a cotton textile company
- be misleading, for example use the word ‘organic’ for goods that are not organic
- be too common and non-distinctive, for example a statement like ‘we lead the way’
- be just a generic shape associated with your business, for example if you sell apples you cannot trade mark the shape of an apple
- make use of national flags you do not have permission to use
- make use of official emblems or hallmarks, for example coats of arms
You may not be able to register your trade mark if it’s the same as, or similar to, a trade mark of another business that sells the same goods or services.
