Your questions answered

How long will my trade mark last?

To keep your trade mark in force, you must renew it on the 10th anniversary of the filing date and every 10 years after that. There is no limit to how long you can keep your mark registered. You may choose not to renew it, or voluntarily surrender it at any time.

You can renew your registration up to 6 months before the renewal date. We will write to remind you 3 months before renewal is due, if you have not already renewed your mark.

To renew your mark you must complete form TM11 and form FS2 and send it to us together with the appropriate fee. We will send you a Renewal Certificate confirming that we have renewed your mark for the next 10 year period.

If you do not pay your renewal fee by the renewal date, your mark becomes expired. However, you are allowed an extra 6 months from the renewal date in which to renew your registration, but you will have to pay an extra fee for late renewal as well as the main renewal fee.

I see that a patent clinic is held at the IPO in Newport, are they held anywhere else?

The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys holds regular clinics at a number of sites around the UK giving free basic advice to innovators who are at the early stages of developing an idea. The clinics are all given by a registered patent attorney who is a member of the Institute.

A list of venues and details can be found on the CIPA website .

Many firms of patent attorneys will also offer the first consultation free of charge, so if there is not a clinic listed locally, you could contact a local firm of attorneys. A searchable directory of patent attorneys can be found on the CIPA website .