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What is a Trade Mark?
Many businesses spend time and money establishing their brand so that it becomes recognisable as part of their corporate image and branding forms part of their strategy to build a successful business reputation. The legal definition of a brand is a trade mark and your brand can consist of your unique company logo, a form of wording or a combination of both of these. In the UK trade marks can be registered online with the Intellectual Property Office, which is an operating name of the Patent Office .
Some of the benefits of registering your brand as a trade mark are that it protects your corporate identity throughout the UK and prevents other people using your brand name and, in cases of infringement you do not have to rely on the common law rights of 'passing off' as you have already legally registered and protected your rights to your brand. Additionally, your brand is a valuable asset of your company and can be licensed, franchised or sold on.
Your trade mark needs to be renewed every ten years at the Intellectual Property Office but unlike Patents, Registered Designs and Copyright can last forever.
For more information on trade marks go to: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm.htm