TMA Services
Do you need a low, fixed price for trade mark registration services in the UK and/ or throughout the EU? The experts at Trade Mark Associates (TMA) have extensive experience in all aspects of trade marks and the related intellectual property (IP) law. For international trade marks, please contact our sister firm, Brand Protect, for a fixed fee service.
Trade mark applications and registration: the process from pre-application to post-registration
At TMA, we advise you honestly at the outset of the process if we can foresee any issues regarding your trade mark application. Unlike some other firms, we do not hide hourly fees or present extra costs on registration. Our aim is to provide you with a registration certificate as quickly and efficiently as possible with minimal stress and cost for you.
Pre-application
- The first step in the application process is to discuss your trade mark with you. We will need to know what trade mark you want to register, what goods and services your business offers, and in which territories you need to register your trade mark.
- Next, our experts advise you as to whether your trade mark can be registered. To do this we:
- assess whether the registry is likely or unlikely to object to your trade mark’s registration, and
- investigate any earlier registrations and assess if they are likely to object to your application.
- We will then advise you on how we think you should proceed, and the costs involved.
- As payment to the registry is required on application, we require funds in advance of an application being submitted. Once we receive the funds, we will draft the specifications and send them to you for your approval.
Submitting your Application
- When you have approved the trade mark specifications, we will submit the application. This action is often called filing the application. We will then send the ‘filing receipt’ to you, and remind you of the timeframe and process of the application.
- The official registry will then examine the trade mark application.
- Once approved, the application will be published in the trade mark journal, and third parties will have a limited time frame to see your application. If they wish to, they then may decide to oppose the registration of your trade mark.
Registration and Post-registration
- If there are no oppositions, your mark proceeds to registration. We will send you the original certificate. We will remain as your trade mark representative for the duration of the trade mark (in the UK this is 10 years from the date of application).
Going Forward
A trade mark can be a highly valuable and versatile item of property. It should be used with care, to ensure its value is maintained. When we send you the certificate, we provide detailed guidelines as to how a trade mark should be used, protected and monetised.
For more information about the cost of a trade mark application, see Pricing.
Our service includes:
- A registrability report
- We are available by telephone or email during working hours
- Your brand’s application will be completed by a qualified and experienced trade mark professional
- Our quoted charges (see pricing) include all registry application costs
- You will receive a copy of all the registry’s correspondence concerning your application
- We contact you the way you want to monitor the process
- You will have access to our database to be able to monitor the progress of your brand’s application
- All registration certificates are sent to you