Trade mark
Trade marks can be traced back over 400 years to the reign of James 1. A trade mark is a type of intellectual property protection and can be a brand or product name, logo, word, illustration or slogan. It is usually used on, or in association with, goods and services to indicate that they are manufactured, selected, certified or offered for sale by the proprietor of the trade mark. Customers can see the origin of the trade-marked goods and may come to trust the owner of the trademark.
A trade mark allows its owner to distinguish themselves from competitors or others and, once registered, cannot be imitated. In the UK, trade marks are protected by law.
In order to protect a brand or logo etc, trade marks must be registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office at https://www.gov.uk/how-to-register-a-trade-mark.
Registration allows the holders to:
- Sell and license their brand.
- Put the ® symbol next to their brand to show it is theirs and warn others against using it.
- Take legal action against those who use the trademark without permission (including counterfeiters).
Trade marks are usually valid for a period of 10 years, after which they must be renewed to avoid expiry.
A trade mark must be unique and can include:
However, in the UK, a trade mark cannot:
- Be offensive, for example contain swear words or pornographic images.
- Describe the goods or services it will relate to, for example the word ‘cotton’ cannot be a trade mark for a cotton textile company.
- Be misleading, for example use the word ‘organic’ for goods that are not organic.
- Be a three-dimensional shape associated with the trade mark, for example use the shape of an egg for eggs.
- Be too common and non-distinctive, for example be a simple statement like ‘we lead the way’.
- Look too similar to state symbols like flags or hallmarks, based on World Intellectual Property Organization guidelines.
To register a trade mark, the first step is to find out whether it is already registered by someone else by searching the trade-mark database.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
[edit] External resources
Featured articles and news
IHBC planning for growth with corporate plan development
Grow with the Institute by volunteering and CP25 consultation.
Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers.
Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand says ECA.
Built environment bodies deepen joint action on EDI
B.E.Inclusive initiative agree next phase of joint equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
Recognising culture as key to sustainable economic growth
Creative UK Provocation paper: Culture as Growth Infrastructure.
Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London Unite
Creating the UK’s Built Environment Super Event and over 25 other key partnerships.
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Ireland's National Residential Retrofit Plan
Staged initiatives introduced step by step.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.
Reflecting on the work of the CIOB Academy
Looking back on 2025 and where it's going next.