Trade Mark

A symbol registered by the owner at the Register of Trade Marks (for UK trade marks), which is part of the Patent Office. The symbol can include a logo and/or words and must be sufficiently different from existing trade marks to avoid any confusion. Registration lasts for 10 years and can be renewed. Registration can also be made throughout the EU using a Community Trade Mark (CTM). This is cheaper than registering a trade mark in every individual EU state.