Just as you wouldn't leave your home unlocked, you shouldn't leave your business’s intellectual property unprotected. Safeguard your branding, reputation and marketing efforts to prevent unauthorised use and to ensure your hard work is secure.
Trade marks are one form of intellectual property rights and they may not be a priority at the commencement of a new business venture. However, over time, as your business expands and you seek investment, it will become increasingly vital to secure your IP rights and register your trade marks.
Why register a trade mark?
Registered trade marks offer low cost protection for a 10-year period. There are three key reasons to register:
- Registered trade marks carry more protection than unregistered trade mark rights, and they are easier to enforce where a third party is infringing your rights.
- They act as a deterrent to infringers, as you can show that you take your intellectual property rights seriously.
- You can exploit your trade marks to generate income and secure investment on more favourable terms.
The general position with trade marks is that the party registering first is entitled to the protection. There are exceptions but it can be complex and costly to deal so the best advice is to register, without delay, and seek expert legal advice.
Our specialist solicitors work with you to identify and protect your rights with a bespoke IPO strategy.
Your branding covers everything from your name, logos and colours. However, understanding and unpicking what protections are granted can be a minefield. We can provide advice in clear language to identify your rights and ensure threy are protected. Having a diverse mix of work trade marks and logo trade marks will offer you the strongest form of protection.
How much does it cost?
We offer competitive fixed fees for trade mark registration. You should also ensure to budget for IPO fees which are a sliding scale depending on how many goods and services you want your trade mark to cover. IPO fees start at £190 (no VAT payable) for the protection for your trade mark in one use class.
How long does it take?
The process usually takes around 3 months, where there are no conflicts with earlier trade marks and the key steps are outlined below:
- Week 1: Our expert lawyers discuss your business activities with you and prepare use classes for your review. Subject to your comments and amendments, we will prepare a draft trade mark application for your review.
- Week 2: We file the application with the IPO, and they take a couple of weeks to review it.
- Week 4: The application is published online for opposition purposes, which is a two-month period.
- Week 12: The opposition period ends, and the IPO administration period commences, which usually takes two weeks.
- Week 14: We send you your registered trade mark and details of the renewal date.
Thoughtful trade mark registration
Tozers has operated in the parks industry for over 65 years. Our sector focused lawyers don’t simply offer industry specialist advice, we take the time to know your business.
Thoughtful registration of intellectual property lies at the heart of many a business success and we can advise about how to maximise the protection available to you. Even if trade mark registration has been completely overlooked, there are different ways forward. We can provide specialist advice to get the application right and avoid conflicts, saving you time and funds.
Why use Tozers for trade mark registration?
Our expertise supports park clients in safeguarding their interests and helping them maximise the protection available to them. There are many common pitfalls and the most cost effective way to deal with them is to get the application right in the first place! Trade mark fees are non-refundable so there is a cost benefit to registering before a copycat or a competitor comes along to register something similar.
Protect your IP rights
As a top firm for client satisfaction we have built a reputation as good listeners who can help break down complex legal jargon into words you can understand and are experts at advising on your individual business situation. We’re ranked by Review Solicitors within the top 10 firms out of 11,400 law firms across the UK.
Contact our legal experts today for a preliminary no-obligation call.
