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Look up a trade mark to see if something identical or similar to your brand is already registered.
How to set up a limited company, appoint directors and shareholders or guarantors, and register for tax.
What you need to do if you set up as a sole trader - check your employment status, understand your obligations, and register for tax.
Incorporate a private limited company - register it with Companies House and rules on directors, shares, articles of association and telling HMRC about the company
Protect your brand by registering it as a trade mark - how to apply, fees, responding to objections to your trade mark, using the ® symbol.
Find registered patents, patent applications and pending patents
Find registered designs in the UK
How to renew your patents, trade marks or registered designs: when to renew, how to renew online or renew and restore by post, how much it costs.
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.
Find details of recent trade mark applications or amendments by searching the journal
Renew a trade mark, including late renewals and restoring a trade mark
A patent registers your invention and lets you take legal action against anyone who makes, uses, sells or imports your invention without your permission.
Sign up for alerts about applications for UK trade marks or international registrations
Register a design - what designs are protected, search the registers, prepare your illustrations, how to apply, disclaimers and limitations.
Renew and pay for a GB or European patent online - when renewal is due, fees, renew by post or phone instead
Use this form to record changes to the ownership of UK trade marks for full assignment of the rights.
Search decisions from UK trade mark hearings
Check the patents journal to find UK-registered patents granted, published and filed
Use this form to record a change of name, address or email of the trade mark owner.
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