Where do I start with a UK trade mark application?

When applying to the UK intellectual Property Office for a registered trade mark, there a number of elements that are key. You need to ensure you are up to speed with all steps to ensure you have the best success with your application.

A factor to this is the forms and fees you need to supply in relation to your application and future milestones if your mark is successfully registered.

You will also need to consider any fees payable to a trade mark expert you may wish to get on board to ensure your application is spot on before submission. Why would you want to go into this experience blind when you can have over 10 years of knowledge and experience at your fingertips with The Trademarkroom.

Application to UK IPO

In relation to your application to the UK IPO, the requirements depend on how you want to submit your application. You can either submit it online or through the post.

To encourage you to submit through the UK IPO’s website, the fee for a single application in one class of goods and services is £170. This is reduced from the fee given for a paper application submitted that is explained below.

The form to submit is the TM3, this is the same no matter how you submit your application but of course there is a facility to fill it in online to allow you to pay the lower fee.

If you want to submit your application by post, it will cost a higher fee of £200. This fee increase is justified for administrative reasons as a level of extra assistance is needed to deal with them. The UK IPO also want to make an incentive to comply with environmentally friendly submission methods.

No matter how you submit your application, there is an extra £50 charge if you want to include an additional class of goods or services to your application. It is vital you get the choice of these classes right otherwise your products may not be properly protected. The Trademarkroom can help with this.

The cost of the experts

In addition to the UK Intellectual Property Office application fees, we recommend you allow us to assist you with your application to ensure you have the best success. We can also impart our experience and knowledge on to you so you are set for any future expansion. For our assistance on your application we charge a fee of £200 +VAT. This is a very competitive price and will ensure you have no stress or worries throughout your application.

In addition, we highly recommend the purchase of a trade mark search before the submission of your application which will highlight any existing marks that could prevent your mark being registered. It is extremely important to complete this search to ensure no problems with crop up in the future. We can offer you a free basic search but we would always recommend you purchase our UK/EU Advanced Trade Mark search and report, to ensure you are clear of your position before proceeding with an application.

For more information, contact The Trademarkroom team, and get the ball rolling in your bid for protection!

By Ellis Sweetenham