The Trademarkroom’s ultimate guide to series trade mark applications

When it comes to protecting your brand in the UK, it is important that you are aware of all of your options to make the process as simple and cost effective for you.

What is a series trade mark?

A series trade mark application is filed in the same way as a normal application and allows you to protect up to 6 variations of a mark within one application. There is a small increase in official filing fees to add the variations on to the application but is a cost saver as the alternative would be to file separate applications for each mark with their own set of fees each.

Where can I file a series trade mark?

A series trade mark application can only be filed in the UK, and therefore through the UK Intellectual Property Office

How can the Trademarkroom help me with this?

The Trademarkroom are brand registration experts and can therefore take the matter completely off your hands. Not only can we advise on the success levels of your application, we can also file the application on your behalf making the process as smooth as possible.

What can be included as a series trade mark? The rules surrounding what and cannot be included in a series trade mark application can be complicated and therefore it is much easier to demonstrate with examples! Essentially the difference needs to be minor and cannot change the meaning or form of the trade mark. The following examples highlight those marks that would and would not be acceptable.

		These two logos are suitable for a series application. The difference is the colour only and this is minor enough to be accepted.
TRADEMARKROOM	TEAM TRADEMARKROOM	This would not be accepted. The additional word changes the meaning of the mark and therefore the difference is no longer minor.
		This would be the accepted. The two marks contained exactly the same elements but the positioning has changed. The change in positioning has not changed the meaning of the elements and therefore is sufficiently minor.
	TRADEMARKROOM	This would not be accepted. The first mark is in a distinctive font and therefore clearly different to the second mark. As the marks have a differing level is distinctive character, the differences are not minor.
		These marks would not be accepted. The second mark contains a word element which is not included in the first mark. This changes the form of the mark significantly and therefore the marks are different.
TRADEMARKROOM	trademarkroom	This would be accepted as a series. The capitalisation of the words does not change their meaning and therefore the difference is considered sufficiently minor to be accepted.