When can I put ® on products and packaging?
For products intended for UK sale, use ® beside your registered brand after registration is complete and you have received the certificate. An application or publication is not enough. Check the registration against the proposed artwork before authorising printing. Factory artwork checks can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Wait for registration confirmation
The IPO sends a certificate confirming registration. Its guidance says you cannot use ® until the application is registered and you receive that certificate. Do not approve packaging bearing ® merely because you have filed an application or seen it published.
Keep the certificate with your artwork approval record. If the factory needs to prepare samples while registration is pending, ask for artwork without ® and hold any later change for written approval.
Check the brand and product before printing
Compare the certificate and register entry with the brand shown on the product, label and carton. Check the owner, registered mark and listed goods or services. Ask your trade mark adviser to resolve any mismatch, especially a changed logo or a new product range, before you release artwork.
For choosing the goods and services to cover, see UK trade mark costs and classes. Make this check part of product approval rather than leaving it to the factory's designer.
Give the factory a controlled artwork release
Send the approved artwork file, its version name and written instructions showing where ® should appear. Ask the factory to withdraw superseded files from its printer and any packaging subcontractor. Follow our factory artwork approval guide for the wider print approval process.
Check a physical printed sample against the approved file. Include the product itself, retail packaging, inserts and outer cartons wherever the brand appears. If printing has already started with an unapproved symbol, pause further printing and agree a correction before releasing the goods.
Separate UK artwork from overseas decisions
UK registration protects your brand in the UK and the Isle of Man. Treat this guide as a UK artwork decision. For goods destined elsewhere, ask your trade mark adviser to review the destination before sharing the same artwork across orders.
Keep destination-specific artwork folders and identify the intended market on the purchase order. Our IP and tooling guide covers the broader sourcing risks; this guide adds the registration evidence and print-release checks.
Keep registration and repeat orders under review
A trade mark must be renewed every 10 years to stay in force. You must also report changes, including changes to personal details held on the register, giving up your rights, or appointing a representative or agent.
Assign someone to manage renewal reminders and register updates. Before repeat printing, check the current registration status and approved artwork again. If registration has expired or its status is unclear, hold fresh artwork bearing ® while your adviser confirms the next step.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ® while my trade mark application is pending?
No. IPO guidance says to wait until the application is registered and you receive the certificate. Keep pending-registration artwork free of ®.
Can my Chinese factory add ® for me?
Give the factory approved artwork after checking registration confirmation. Ask it to reproduce that file and refer any proposed change back to you.
Can I use the same ® packaging for overseas orders?
Do not assume so. UK registration protects your brand in the UK and the Isle of Man. Have your adviser review the destination before releasing shared artwork.
What must I do after my trade mark is registered?
Renew every 10 years to keep it in force and report register changes. Assign responsibility for reminders, updates and checking artwork before repeat printing.