Trademark registration is open to a wide range of items; names and logos are the most popular. Everything that enables customers to tell your products or services from from those of another is considered a trademark.

When you think of BP, a specific shade of green comes to mind; when you think of Intel, a certain jingle plays; and when you think of Toblerone, you think of its chocolate peaks. Absolutely, you may register sounds, colours, and forms as trademarks as well.

These more uncommon Trademarks are less prevalent because they are more difficult to register.All of the following can be registered:

• Word
• Logo
• Shape
• Position
• Pattern
• Colour (single)
• Colour (combination)
• Sound
• Motion
• Multimedia
• Hologram

A Trademark has to be distinctive in order to prevent confusion with a mark that has already been registered. You cannot describe your new trainer brand as "sports shoes" since it is not allowed. The name Pluma would also be inappropriate since it may be mistaken for Puma.

You essentially have no legal rights to prevent someone from utilising your name or logo unless you register your business name or control the domain name.

You run the risk of later learning about a company with a similar name or even getting a letter ordering you to stop using your mark because it infringes on the rights of someone who has already registered a Trademark if you begin using a logo or name without first registering it as a Trademark and without first making sure it is free to use.

You run the additional risk of someone else trying to prevent you from using your own brand name by registering it as a Trademark. While there may be room for you to fight back on the basis of any goodwill you have built up through "unregistered rights," doing so can be expensive and time-consuming.

The more well-known and established you become, the more probable it is that others will begin to imitate you. You may stop this by acting if you have registered trademark protection.

Most nations have their own distinct systems for protecting trademarks, and in order to do so, you often need to submit an application in each nation separately.

As the EU has a regional structure that applies to all of its members, you may get comprehensive protection with only one application. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages; therefore it is essential to talk to a Certified Trademark Attorney about which is best for you and your company.

There is also an international system that enables you to apply once and have it accepted in many other nations. But each nation will need to process and review the application separately.

The government agency in charge of registrations of trademarks in the UK is called the Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO).

After your trademark has been registered, you should use a R in a circle to indicate that it is protected. You may indicate that you are claiming it as a trademark before registration by adding the TM superscript.