In today’s era of e-commerce, when all companies have global exposure through social media platforms and online marketplaces, a trademark is a significant asset for all types of businesses and is essential to safeguard your brand. Obtaining the knowledge of how much to register a UK trademark and the benefits of it will be a bigger trademark progress plan in a defined area. As a company, you presumably have insurance to secure your assets, locks on your property, and even security staff to help ensure that nothing is stolen from you. But have you previously questioned if you actually need to register your trademark or take any other action to be able to protect it if you do use one?
One of the most fundamental ways for a business or corporate structures partnerships to protect its intellectual property and stop others from using its image, tagline, or other elements that only serve to identify the company and its goods or services is by acquiring a trademark registration. Listed below are the Top 3 benefits of registering a UK trademark:
Heightened consumer awareness of your brand: Strong trademarks are valuable. To show that trademarks in and of themselves may be a significant business, one simply needs to see how third-party businesses, like garment manufacturers, negotiate license agreements with major multinational corporations, like Coca-Cola, to use their emblems on t-shirts. Because your logo may be valuable in and of itself, you should take care to prevent someone from simply copying it without giving your company any form of credit. A well-kept trademark portfolio might prove to be a useful asset and raise the worth of your company to interested clients.
Brand protection service: If someone is replicating your trademark, goods, or services, you will be provided with an official certificate that will serve as proof that the trademark belongs to you. You can use this certificate to your advantage in legal disputes. To secure your activities, your business must have this security. When a trademark is not registered, it can be challenging and expensive to establish ownership.
Registration of trademarks is extremely affordable: Obviously, one of the main reasons many small businesses choose not to register their trademark is due to concern about the expense. However, trademark registration is cost-effective. If the business is young, it makes sense that it would invest its resources in marketing and equipment, but trademark registration shouldn’t be put off for too long and doesn’t actually cost that much. The registration will remain in effect as long as you maintain your trademark (provided you renew it every 10 years as well as carry out any maintenance required in certain territories).
Types of Applications in Registering a Trademark and their cost
Standard Application:
A single UK trademark filed in a single class registered directly through the UK IPO costs £170. If you pay in advance, each subsequent class costs £50.
The first two variations of the trademark in a series application are included in the price. Then, up to a maximum of six variations of your trademark, you must pay £50 for each additional variation.
Right Start Application:
You pay £100 upfront plus an extra £25 for every additional class. A report informing you of the compliance of your application will be given to you. You have 28 days to decide whether to move forward or not.
If you decide to proceed, you must pay an additional £100 plus an additional £25 for each class.
Mail Application:
To apply by mail, complete an application form on a paper that will be provided. One class costs £200 to apply for, and each extra class costs an additional £50.
Why should I register a trademark?
A trademark aims to safeguard the precise distinctive name, logo, and other visual elements associated with your company or product brand. Business identities, logos, slogans, sounds, and even shades that are distinctive to a single brand may also be protected by a trademark. The basic justification for registering your trademark is simple: if you don’t, others may use it without your consent. It would be awful to have your reputation damaged by competitors and dishonest companies acting in such a way after years of cultivating a clientele, and we don’t want that to happen. The registration of a trademark is not mandatory. You could use the mark indefinitely if no one ever protested. Yet it is essential to register your trademark as soon as possible to provide you with legal credibility and prevent others from doing so as effortlessly.
Article written by – Prencess Jazz Luzelle Putian