Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

NBR’s UK trade mark search is £99 ex VAT. Searches in Europe and the USA are £150 ex VAT per search.

Once it has been established your proposed trade mark is available for use, it can be applied for at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Our trade mark team will manage the entire process and obtain registration within 6 months (although please note your trademark is valid from the day of application). 

The cost to apply to register a trademark in the UK is £499 ex VAT for one class. Any additional classes are charged at £120 plus VAT each.

Before an application is placed to register your proposed trade mark you must ensure your mark will not conflict with any existing trade mark. Furthermore, you should also ensure that there are no existing common law trade marks – in other words, unregistered trade marks, limited companies, business names and/or any reference to your proposed trade mark on the internet. 

Our parent company, NBR, offers a trade mark search service:

This search will indicate whether your proposed trade mark is available or is registered by someone else. The fee is £99 ex VAT for the UK and £150 ex VAT per search for Europe and the United States of America.

Find out more about all of the National Business Register’s trade mark services here.

The procedure for obtaining a trade mark registration in the United Kingdom takes approximately 6 months. Key point – Registration is effective from the date of application i.e. the sooner you apply, the better.

No. Once a trade mark has been accepted for registration it cannot be altered except for the owner’s name and address. Any further amendments require a new application and registration along with the accompanying fees.

Trade mark clearance searches are particularly important as they are the first step to determine whether the trade mark you wish to use and register is available.

We strongly recommend that, to avoid any potential conflict between your proposed trade mark and any existing similar trade marks, you instruct us to carry out a comprehensive trade mark search on your behalf.

No. A trade mark is only effective in the country where the trade mark is registered. However, there are several international conventions which assist clients who wish to register a trade mark in more than one country with one single application – this is more cost effective than obtaining separate national registrations. Start.biz’s parent company, NBR works with these international organisations on your behalf to assist clients in registering trade marks across the globe.

A trade mark registration is renewable every 10 years, with no maximum registration period, meaning your trade mark registration is indefinite so long as it is renewed ( and fees paid) every 10 years.

It is important to find out the correct class(es) for your trade mark when applying, as trade marks can have more than one class. If you apply using the incorrect class, a new application will have to be made. Each additional class application has a charge of £120 (ex VAT). Feel free to contact us and our team will be able to advise which class(es) applies to your trade mark.

No. A trade mark will not be accepted for registration if it is not distinctive enough. However, if this is the case, our report will advise how you can make your trade mark more distinctive and we will help you with your application. 

Furthermore, there have been occasions where trade marks that are not distinctive have been accepted for registration if it was proven that the trade mark had acquired a distinctive character because it had been in use for over 5 years. We are on hand to guide you through such cases as these and make the process simple for you.

This depends on whether you have something unique you would like to protect. A trade mark may become essential to your business in the future and save a lot of headaches further down the road. If you are unsure about anything to do with trade marks then our expert team with over 35 years’ experience are on hand to advise.

A trade mark can consist of words (including personal names), designs, letters or numerals, the shape of goods or their packaging, and sounds or smells.