Registering a UK trademark protects the brand name, logo, or slogan you use to identify your business. The application is filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO), costs from £170 for one class, and takes about four to six months from filing to registration if uncontested. It is one of the most undervalued protections a UK founder can put in place — and one of the most painful gaps to discover late.
Trademark vs. company name vs. domain
These three are commonly confused.
- Company name is registered with Companies House. It gives you a legal entity, not a brand. Two companies can have very similar names if Companies House allows the registration; that does not stop a third party challenging your branding.
- Domain name is registered with a registrar. It gives you an address, not a brand right.
- Trademark is registered with the UK IPO. It gives you exclusive rights to use the name (or logo, or slogan) for the goods and services you cover, in the UK, for 10 years renewable.
Owning all three matters. A founder who owns the company and domain but not the trademark can still be forced to rebrand if a prior trademark holder enforces.
What can be trademarked
Most marks fall into one of these categories:
- Word marks — the brand name as text.
- Figurative marks — logos, including stylised wordmarks.
- Combined marks — name + logo together.
- Slogans, in some cases.
- Sounds, shapes, colours, and other unconventional marks (harder bar to clear).
What cannot be trademarked: descriptive terms ("Best Coffee"), purely generic terms ("The Bakery"), and marks that conflict with prior registered rights or are likely to be confused with them.
Classes — and why they matter
UK trademarks are registered in one or more of 45 classes (the Nice Classification): 1–34 are goods, 35–45 are services. You only get protection in the classes you register, so picking the wrong classes leaves gaps.
Common classes for service businesses:
- Class 35 — Advertising, business management, retail services.
- Class 36 — Financial services, insurance.
- Class 41 — Education, training, entertainment.
- Class 42 — Software, technology services, scientific research.
- Class 45 — Legal services, security services.
The right list depends on what you actually sell. Over-claiming classes can be challenged for non-use; under-claiming leaves room for someone else to register the same mark for adjacent services.
The five-step process
- Search. Run a clearance search on the UK IPO register and the EU IPO register (some EU rights still affect UK use). Check unregistered uses in your sector that might assert prior rights.
- Choose classes matching the goods and services you currently sell or plan to sell within the coming 5 years.
- File the application with the UK IPO, either directly or via a trademark attorney. Filing fees start at £170 for one class, plus £50 per additional class.
- Examination and publication. The IPO examines the application (typically 2 weeks) and, if it passes, publishes it for a 2-month opposition period during which third parties can object.
- Registration. If no successful opposition, the mark is registered and you receive the registration certificate. Total time is typically 4–6 months.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the clearance search. Filing straight into a conflicting prior mark wastes the fee and delays you by 6+ months.
- Trademarking only the logo. If you rebrand the visual but keep the name, the protection effectively expires. The wordmark is usually the more durable registration.
- Picking classes too narrowly. A SaaS business that only registers in Class 9 (downloadable software) often needs Class 42 (software-as-a-service) too.
- Letting it lapse. Renewal is at the 10-year mark and easy to miss. Calendar it.
- Not using the mark. A registered mark that is not actively used in the UK for 5 years can be revoked for non-use.
EU and international protection
Post-Brexit, a UK trademark covers the UK only. For the EU, you file an EU trademark (EUTM) separately. For wider coverage, the Madrid System lets you file once and designate multiple jurisdictions. Most early-stage UK businesses start with the UK only and extend internationally as the brand scales.
When to use a trademark attorney
For a single-class word mark with a clean clearance search, a founder can file directly. Use a chartered trademark attorney when:
- The mark is borderline descriptive or distinctive.
- You're registering across multiple classes or jurisdictions.
- You receive an examination report or an opposition notice.
- You're dealing with a pre-existing dispute or threat.
The cost is usually 2–5x the IPO filing fees, and is almost always cheaper than fixing a problem later.
Where Rajoka fits
Inside the Rajoka portfolio, Harveys Legal handles trademark registration alongside immigration support for UK founders and employers. Trademarks sit inside the compliance pillar of the four-pillar model — see the four pillars article for the wider context, and the full portfolio for adjacent specialist brands.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a UK trademark cost?
UK Intellectual Property Office filing fees start at £170 for one class through the standard online application, or £200 with the Right Start option (which gives a refund of £100 if the mark fails examination). Each additional class is £50. Trademark attorney fees, where used, typically add £400–£1,500 per application depending on complexity.
How long does UK trademark registration take?
If unopposed, a UK trademark application typically takes 4–6 months from filing to registration. Examination is usually 2 weeks; the opposition period after publication is 2 months; registration follows shortly after. Opposed or contested applications can take significantly longer.
Do I need a trademark if I've already registered the company at Companies House?
Yes — they're separate protections. A Companies House registration gives you a legal entity name; a trademark gives you exclusive rights to the brand name as used in the goods and services classes you register. A company name alone does not stop another business using a similar branding for the same services.
What's the difference between TM and ®?
™ can be used by any business claiming a mark, registered or not — it has no legal status by itself. ® can only be used once a trademark is officially registered with the UK IPO (or another jurisdiction's registry). Using ® without a registration is an offence in the UK.