Legal Services
Trademark, Copyright & IPR
Protection for the name, mark and creative work a business trades under. The search comes before the filing, because a mark that conflicts with an earlier one will be objected to or opposed, and finding that out after a year of use is considerably more expensive than finding it out in a week.
What you get
- Availability search across the register and common-law use before filing
- Class identified against the goods or services actually offered, and not over-claimed
- Trademark application filed and prosecuted through to registration
- Examination reports answered and opposition proceedings defended
- Copyright registration for literary, artistic, software and audio-visual work
- Renewal dates diarised, so a registration is not lost to a missed deadline
FAQ
About trademark, copyright & ipr
How long does a trademark take to register?
Considerably longer than most applicants expect, because the timeline depends on whether an examination report is issued, whether the mark is opposed and how busy the registry is. The useful point is that rights are generally reckoned from the date of application, so the protection date is fixed early even though the certificate arrives late.
Can I use the mark before it is registered?
Yes, and you can use the TM symbol while an application is pending. The registered symbol may only be used once the mark is actually registered, and using it before then is itself a problem. Continuous use also builds common-law rights independently of the registration, which is why evidence of first use is worth keeping from the start.