Protecting your business name, brand or logo starts with understanding what to register and the goods or services it needs to cover. London IP helps individuals, start ups and established businesses prepare and file UK trade mark applications.
Our trade mark attorneys can advise on searches, suitable protection and the application process, helping you understand the decisions and costs before you proceed. Whether you are launching a new brand or protecting one you already use, we can help you plan the next step.
What Can a UK Trade Mark Protect?
A registered trade mark helps protect the branding that distinguishes your goods or services from those of other businesses. This may include a business name, product name, logo or a distinctive slogan.
The mark must meet the requirements for registration. Wording that simply describes your goods or services, or lacks distinctive character, may be difficult to register.
A UK registration provides protection in the UK and the Isle of Man. The protection depends on the mark and the goods or services covered; registering a name does not give you unrestricted ownership of that word in every context.
How We Help With Your UK Trade Mark Application
Assessing Your Brand
We consider the name, logo or other mark you want to protect and how you intend to use it. We can explain potential issues with registration and discuss whether a word mark, a logo application or separate applications would suit your business.
Checking for Earlier Rights
A clearance search can identify earlier trade marks that may affect your plans. We can advise on appropriate searches and what the findings mean for your proposed application and use of the brand.
Choosing Goods and Services
Your application needs a carefully prepared list of goods and services, grouped into classes. We help you consider your current activities and genuine plans for expansion, so the application reflects the protection your business needs.
Filing and Ongoing Advice
We prepare and submit the application and handle correspondence with the UK Intellectual Property Office, known as the UKIPO. If questions, objections or opposition arise, we can explain the issues and advise on the available responses.
How the UK Trade Mark Application Process Works
1. Prepare and File Your Application
We agree the mark, the applicant’s details and the goods and services to include. Once the filing approach and costs are agreed, we submit your application to the UKIPO.
It is important to get the scope right before filing. You cannot subsequently broaden the application by adding goods or services.
2. UKIPO Examination
The UKIPO checks whether the application meets the registration requirements and searches for earlier identical or similar marks. An examination report may identify issues that need a response.
An earlier similar mark does not automatically mean the UKIPO will refuse your application. However, its owner may challenge it, so any identified conflict needs careful consideration.
3. Publication and Opposition
If the application is accepted, it is published in the trade marks journal. Other parties normally have two months to oppose it. This period can extend to three months for a party that files a qualifying notice of threatened opposition.
If an opposition is filed, we can advise on your options and the work involved in responding.
4. Registration
If there are no outstanding obstacles, the UKIPO registers the mark and issues a certificate. Registration can be renewed every ten years.
A straightforward UK trade mark application usually takes around three to four months from filing to registration. Objections, opposition or other complications can extend this timescale.
How Much Does a UK Trade Mark Application Cost?
The cost depends on the number of marks and classes, any searches you need and whether issues arise during the application.
As at October 2026, the official UKIPO fee for a standard online application is £205 for one mark in one class, plus £60 for each additional class. These are official fees only and do not include our professional charges or any separately agreed search work.
London IP offers fixed prices for UK trade mark registration where no problems arise. Contact us for a quotation explaining the work covered and any additional costs that could apply, including responses to objections or opposition.
Why Choose London IP?
Our advice starts with the brand you are building and the protection that matters to your business. We can help you weigh up the available options, understand potential conflicts and make informed decisions about your application.
London IP is regulated by IPReg. Our team includes David Warrilow, a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney whose experience includes representing applicants before UK and European trade mark authorities, from filing through to opposition.
Find out about our trade mark attorneys
A UK Application in Practice: Forest Whole Foods
When Forest Whole Foods approached London IP to protect its company name, our work included identifying the relevant goods and classes, carrying out a clearance search and filing a UK trade mark application. The example shows why understanding a business’s products and plans matters when preparing an application.
Planning Protection Outside the UK
A UK trade mark does not automatically protect your brand in the EU or other overseas markets. If you plan to trade internationally, tell us before filing so we can consider how UK protection fits into your wider plans.
A qualifying overseas application filed within six months of your first UK application may be able to claim its earlier filing date as a priority date. The requirements need to be met in the relevant territories; this is not automatic worldwide protection.
UK Trade Mark Application FAQs
Discuss Your UK Trade Mark Application
Whether you have a new brand in development or want to protect an established name, contact London IP for a free initial telephone consultation.
Tell us what you would like to register and how you plan to use it. We can discuss the next steps and provide a quotation for the work you need.
Arrange a Free Initial Consultation
Call 020 8158 5960 or email info@londonip.co.uk.
