How to check a brand name or logo for UK conflicts
Search the IPO database for the proposed name, spelling variants and logo, then review relevant goods and services and any similar marks. Treat the results as an initial screen, not conclusive clearance. Resolve doubts with a trade mark professional before authorising packaging. Coordinate the factory release with Cambridge China Bridge.
Prepare the brand you actually intend to print
Collect the proposed name, logo, slogan and packaging mock-up. Describe the products, intended customers and sales channels in plain language. Include planned related products so your search brief reflects the brand you intend to launch.
Keep supplier confidentiality and tooling arrangements alongside this work, using our IP and tooling guide. This guide adds the UK conflict search before packaging commitment.
Search names and images separately
Open the GOV.UK page titled ‘Search for a trade mark’ and choose the keyword, phrase or image search. Start with the exact name, then try distinctive words separately, alternative spellings, spacing and similar-sounding names. Search the logo image as well as any words inside it.
Use the owner search to investigate a relevant holder’s other marks, and the trade mark number search to reopen a specific record. Save the search date, queries, filters and relevant records. If the service fails or an image search is inconclusive, record the gap rather than treating it as a clean result.
Read the goods and services behind each result
For each potentially relevant record, note the owner, status, dates, mark and goods or services wording. Compare the name and logo with your proposed artwork. Include pending applications in your review, and refer uncertain status entries to your adviser.
Do not stop at your chosen class. The IPO cross-search list helps identify other classes containing the same or similar goods and services. Read the actual descriptions rather than assuming a different class settles the question. Our trade mark classes guide covers class selection for an application.
Know when the search needs professional clearance
The IPO warns that its database search cannot conclusively establish whether a conflicting mark exists. If you find a similar mark, its registration guidance says to seek professional advice. As a buying decision, hold packaging release while the issue remains unresolved.
Ask a trade mark attorney or solicitor experienced in trade marks for a written assessment of your intended UK use and any proposed application. Supply the artwork, product brief and search records. Ask them to consider unregistered brands too: an unregistered mark may support a passing-off action. Also check trading names, websites and marketplaces for relevant use.
Make packaging release a recorded decision
Keep brand clearance separate from visual proof approval. Record the accepted name and logo, artwork filename, revision, products covered, outstanding questions and person authorising release. Tell the factory to hold branded printing, labels and logo engraving until written release. Repeat the review if the name, logo or product scope changes.
Use our factory artwork approval guide for the printing handover. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can coordinate factory instructions and check production against the approved artwork; obtain the legal clearance assessment from your appointed adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Is no exact match in the IPO search enough?
No. Search variants and images, review relevant goods and services, and investigate similar marks. The IPO says its database search cannot conclusively establish whether a conflict exists.
Should I search the logo as well as the name?
Yes. Use the image search and search any words within the logo separately. Save the artwork you searched so the factory receives the same version you reviewed.
Does a different trade mark class mean I can use the name?
Do not assume so. Use the IPO cross-search list to review related goods and services in other classes. Ask a professional to assess any potentially relevant match.
When should I get professional trade mark advice?
Get advice when you find a similar mark or cannot resolve a possible conflict. Seek a written clearance assessment before committing to branded packaging that would be costly to replace.