Services

Look up a trade mark to see if something identical or similar to your brand is already registered.

Check if a vehicle model, part or accessory has been recalled because of a fault in how it was made

Use Contracts Finder to find out about current contract opportunities with the government and its agencies.

Protect your brand by registering it as a trade mark - how to apply, fees, responding to objections to your trade mark, using the ® symbol

When you do and do not have to offer a refund, repair or replacement, unconditional refunds for online purchases, and penalties for deceiving customers

Find a Trading Standards office to complain about illegal sales activity or to get business advice about trading legally

Find registered patents, patent applications and pending patents

Find registered designs in the UK

Rules for online and distance selling for businesses

Who gets copyright, types of work it covers, permitted use of copyright material, how to license and sell copyright and help resolving disputes

What intellectual property is, how you can protect it, and which of copyright, patents, design right and trade marks applies to your work

Application for a personal licence requires your licensing qualifications and details of previous or outstanding applications.

• From: Home Office

A patent registers your invention and lets you take legal action against anyone who makes, uses, sells or imports your invention without your permission.

Renew a trade mark, including late renewals and restoring a trade mark

Find details of recent trade mark applications or amendments by searching the journal

Pay the data protection fee to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and update your details on the data protection register

Register a design - what designs are protected, search the registers, prepare your illustrations, how to apply, disclaimers and limitations.

Trading hours for retailers, restrictions on Sunday opening and public holiday opening in England, Wales and Scotland

Invoicing and taking payment from customers, what invoices must include, VAT invoices, sole trader invoices, limited company invoices, payment options, charging for late payment, chargebacks

Sign up for alerts about applications for UK trade marks or international registrations