I already have good names – can I register and protect them?

If you want to register your name as a trade mark, with the significant protections that gives you, it must not only be available (ie no–one else is using it), but also registrable in its own right (ie acceptable to the trade marks registry) – for example, it must be distinctive, and it must relate to particular goods or services.

This is because registration means you get a virtual monopoly over the use of the name, and that is not a privilege lightly given. And if you register a European Community or other international mark, you can get protection throughout the whole of the European Union, and elsewhere.

We hope the above information gives you a good start – but when you're ready to get serious about your name, contact us to discuss the next steps.