companies house made easy

• company formation
• accounting service
• register a domain

view our guide archive

Please note if you are looking for Companies House forms to download, please click here.

intellectual property

A trade mark protects any sign or symbol that allows your customers to tell you apart from your competitors. You can register a name, logo, slogan, domain name, shape, colour or sound, but it must be distinctive for your particular product or service and cannot resemble any competing trade marks. 

New rules implemented in October 2009 modernised and changed mark applications, and build on the 2007 changes when new trade mark applications were no longer automatically blocked if there was an earlier conflicting mark.

If you do not register your trade mark it will rely on the common law of passing off. If register a trade mark you must renew it every 10 years to keep it in force.

Check the trade mark is available for you to use and register. If it is, you should apply for registration before someone else beats you to it.