Why register a trade mark?

Trademarks are important assets to your business and by protecting your brand within your territory you prevent someone from damaging your business by using a similar mark.

When you register your trade mark, you’ll be able to:

1. Take legal action against anyone who uses your brand without your permission, including counterfeiters
2. Place the ® symbol next to your brand – to show that you own it and warn others against using it
3. Defend yourself more effectively if a third party asserts their own trade mark right against you
4. Sell and license your brand

How much does it cost?

If you apply online you need to make an initial payment of £170 plus £50 for each additional “class”.

If you would like to apply by post the cost is £200 for one class plus £50 for each additional class.

Here’s a clearer example of what you can expect to pay when applying online:

What does Right Start mean?

The ‘Right Start’ service gives you the opportunity to check your application meets the rules for registration before you apply.

You will need to pay an initial fee of £100 plus £25 for each additional class. You’ll then get a report telling you if your application meets the rules.

If you want to continue with the registration, you will need to pay the full amount within 14 days of receiving your report.

You can also choose to continue your application even if the Registry doesn’t think it meets the rules for registration, but you’ll need to make the second payment in order to have the discussion with them.

When do you pay for your trademark?

You pay the relevant fees for your trademark when you submit your application.

Are there any other additional costs?

Depending on how many classes you have you will need to pay an additional fee for any extra class. See the table below:

Classes reflect the breadth of scope of goods and services that you are applying to register the trade mark for.  Generally, the broader the scope of the application, the more classes you will eed to include.  It’s not a one-to-one correlation, though.

Is there anything I need to know when paying for my trademark?

You can’t change your trade mark once you’ve applied, and the fees are non-refundable.

Can I get help with registering my trademark and managing the fee process?

Registering a Trade Mark can be a complicated and stressful process but with the help of a trademark specialist they will support and advise you along the way.

Intellectual Property companies like Downing IP can take care of the application process for you and ensure you have a strong case. They can search marks to clear them for use, help you in choosing which mark or marks to register and for which goods and/or services, and advise on the right fees to pay and ensure they are paid on time.  We make a charge for this, obviously, so there will be further costs in addition to the Registry fee set out above.  We’re happy to discuss your individual case and let you know what those costs will be, though. 

For a free, confidential initial consultation on your Trademark application and fees please contact a member of the Downing IP team on 01494 422626 or fill in our online contact form.