Patents & Trademarks – Trademark

• A trademark is a sign which distinguishes your goods and services from those of your competitors.
• A trademark can be words, names, logos or designs – or a combination of these.
• If you have a company name registered with Companies House, this does not mean that you have a trademark of your company name.
• A trademark gives a business exclusive rights to use the trademark and may lawfully prosecute any parties that use the same trademark in the future.
• You can display ™ next to a trademark that has been registered.
• You can display ™ next to a trademark that has not been registered as long as there is a public claim to the trademark.

How long a trademark lasts

• A registered trademark must be renewed every 10 years.

What can be trademarked

• Words, names, logos or designs – or a combination of these – which are distinctive for the goods and services you provide.

What can’t be trademarked

• A description of your goods or services.
• Words and logos which are not distinctive.
• Words and logos which are offensive or against the law.
• Logos which are specifically protected emblems.

Trademark examples

• The name “McChicken Sandwich” is trademarked by McDonald’s.
• Nike have trademarked their “tick” logo.
• Audi have trademarked the slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik”.
• The classic glass Coca Cola bottle is trademarked by Coca Cola.

More information

• Patents & Trademarks – Patents
• Patents & Trademarks – Applying for a Patent
• Patents & Trademarks – Applying for a Trademark
• Data Protection & Copyright – Copyright
• Data Protection & Copyright – Copyright Infringement
• Data Protection & Copyright – Data Protection of Customer Information
• Data Protection & Copyright – Domain Names
• Data Protection & Copyright – Unlicensed Software