Trade Marks
Names, logos, slogans and other signs that identify your goods and services.
Trade Mark Registration →
Trade Marks · Patents · Designs · Copyright · Madrid · PCT · Hague
Intellectual Property Registration & Management Lawyer
Register once, plan for every market you will trade in.
We secure and manage trade marks, designs, patents and copyright for technology, media, entertainment and fashion businesses, in the UK and internationally. Every filing starts with clearance and is planned around where you trade now and where you will trade next.
Which Intellectual Property Should You Register?
Each right protects something different. Most businesses need more than one.
Patents
New, inventive technical solutions. File before any public disclosure.
Patent Registration →Registered Designs
The look of a product: shape, configuration, pattern, colour and ornamentation.
Add Designs to Your Brief →Copyright
Automatic in the UK. We build the evidence of ownership and plan US registration where it matters.
Copyright Registration →Trade Secrets
Not registrable. Protected through confidentiality agreements, access controls and careful contracts.
IP Licence Agreements →Disputes & Enforcement
If someone is already copying or opposing your rights, go straight to our disputes team.
IP Disputes & Enforcement →Build Your Registration Brief
Answer what you can. Your brief builds as you go, ready to email to us or paste into the enquiry form at the bottom of this page.
01
What do you want to protect?
02
Where do you need protection?
Select an IP type and a market to see the likely filing route.
03
Who is the applicant and owner?
Rights created by contractors or co-founders usually need a written assignment before filing. We will check this first.
04
Describe the asset
Classes 1–34 cover goods; 35–45 cover services. We confirm the final classes and wording, which decide what your registration actually protects.
Patents and designs: give a short, non-confidential summary only. Do not disclose how an invention works until we have agreed confidentiality terms with you.
05
Any existing filings? (priority claim)
Under the Paris Convention, a first filing gives you a priority window to file elsewhere and keep the original date: 6 months for trade marks and designs, 12 months for patents.
How Long Registration Takes, and How Long It Lasts
| IP Type | Typical Timeline | International Route | Duration of Protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Marks | From about 4 months in the UK if unopposed; longer abroad | Madrid Protocol or national offices | 10 years, renewable indefinitely |
| Patents | Usually 2 – 5 years to grant | Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) or national offices | Up to 20 years, subject to renewal fees |
| Registered Designs | Often 1 – 3 months in the UK | Hague System or national offices | 5-year periods, up to 25 years in the UK and EU |
| Copyright | Automatic in the UK; optional US registration | Berne Convention, no filing needed | Generally the author's life plus 70 years |
| Trade Secrets | No registration | Contracts and confidentiality | For as long as the information stays secret |
Timelines are estimates. Objections, oppositions and office backlogs can extend them.
Clearance
Searching registers and the market before you invest in a name or filing.
Strategy
Choosing rights, classes, markets and the order of filing.
Filing
Preparing and filing applications, and claiming priority where available.
Examination
Responding to objections and handling any opposition.
Registration & Watch
Recording ownership, diarising renewals and watching for conflicts.
More Than Filing Forms
A registration is only valuable if it is clear to use, covers the right markets and earns its keep.
Pre-Filing Clearance
- Searches of UK, EU, WIPO and target-country registers
- Common-law, company name, domain and marketplace checks
- A clear risk view before you launch, rebrand or invest
Filing Strategy
- National filings, Madrid, PCT or Hague, depending on cost and risk
- Specifications drafted around how you actually trade
- Priority dates protected across every market you need
Commercialisation & Licensing
- Cross-border licences, brand collaborations and franchising
- Holding structures and assignments for investors and buyers
- Royalty, quality-control and termination terms
Monitoring & Enforcement
- Watch services for conflicting applications
- Oppositions, cease-and-desist letters and platform takedowns
Corporate IP Protection Checklist
Tick what is already in place. Download the list to share with your team.
Ownership
Registration
Monitoring & Use
0 of 12 in place
Where Our IP Registration Work Is Concentrated
Technology, AI & Digital Platforms
Software, SaaS and app brands, AI products, and the ownership of code and training data.
Media, Film & Entertainment
Production titles, formats, music and talent brands, and rights in content.
Fashion, Modelling & Influencers
Fashion labels, product designs, personal brands and creator businesses.
Crypto & Web3
Token, platform and NFT brands, including virtual goods in class 9.
Regulated, Accountable and Confidential
SRA Regulated
Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, No. 827265. Company No. 13350694.
Coordinated Worldwide
We file UK trade marks and designs directly, and coordinate EU-qualified representatives, registered patent attorneys and local associates abroad.
Confidential by Default
Send no confidential technical material until conflict checks are cleared and confidentiality terms are agreed. We then arrange a secure transfer.
Submitting information through this page or the enquiry form does not create a solicitor–client relationship. That begins only once conflict checks are cleared and our engagement is confirmed in writing.
IP Registration Questions
Do I need to register in every country?
Registered rights are territorial, so they protect you only where they are registered. We prioritise the markets where you sell, manufacture or face copying, and use the Madrid, PCT or Hague systems to extend protection efficiently.
What is the priority period?
Under the Paris Convention, after your first filing you have 6 months for trade marks and designs, and 12 months for patents, to file in other member countries and keep your original filing date.
Does a UK trade mark protect me in the EU?
No. Since Brexit, UK and EU trade marks are separate. EU protection needs an EU trade mark or national filings, and we work with EU-qualified representatives for EUIPO filings.
How do I choose the right Nice classes?
Goods and services are grouped into 45 classes. Classes and wording should cover what you sell now and what you plan to sell, without being so broad that the application draws objections or becomes vulnerable to non-use attack.
Can I register copyright in the UK?
No. Copyright arises automatically in the UK and there is no official register. We help you document ownership, and advise on US Copyright Office registration where US enforcement may be needed.
I have already shown my invention publicly. Can I still patent it?
Possibly not. Public disclosure before filing can destroy novelty in the UK and most countries. Speak to us as soon as possible and before any further disclosure.
How are fees for IP registration agreed?
Fees are agreed upfront and confirmed in writing before work begins, separately from official office fees. We do not offer free initial consultations, legal aid or no-win-no-fee arrangements.
Speak with an IP Registration Specialist
Speak directly with our principal solicitor, practising since 1999.
- Your registration brief from the builder above
- The markets you trade in now and plan to enter
- Any earlier filings, with dates and numbers
- Launch dates or investor deadlines
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7305 7491
Email: peter@pailsolicitors.co.uk
23 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 6HE
Fees are agreed upfront. We do not offer free initial consultations, legal aid or no-win-no-fee arrangements.
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