UK IPO

What we do

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.

IPO is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, supported by 1 public body.

Read more about what we do

Intellectual property and your work

What intellectual property is

Having the right type of intellectual property protection helps you to stop people stealing or copying:

• the names of your products or brands
• your inventions
• the design or look of your products
• things you write, make or produce

Copyright, patents, designs and trade marks are all types of intellectual property protection. You get some types of protection automatically, others you have to apply for.

What counts as intellectual property

Intellectual property is something unique that you physically create. An idea alone is not intellectual property. For example, an idea for a book doesn’t count, but the words you’ve written do.

Owning intellectual property

You own intellectual property if you:

• created it (and it meets the requirements for copyright, a patent or a design)
• bought intellectual property rights from the creator or a previous owner
• have a brand that could be a trade mark, eg a well-known product name

Intellectual property can:

• have more than one owner
• belong to people or businesses
• be sold or transferred

Intellectual property if you’re self-employed

If you’re self-employed, you usually own the intellectual property even if your work was commissioned by someone else – unless your contract with them gives them the rights.

Trade marks

Quick links

1. Trade mark forms and fees

2. Search for a trade mark

Introduction to trade marks

1. Intellectual property and your work

2. Unacceptable trade marks

3. Using somebody else's intellectual property

4. IP for business: events, guidance, tools and case studies

5. IP in education

6. Seeking intellectual property advice

7. Why you should use an IP attorney

Apply for a trade mark

1. How to classify trade marks

2. Apply to register a trade mark

3. Searching for similar trade mark goods/services in other classes

4. Trade mark series applications

5. Collective and certification trade marks

6. Process for applying to register for a trade mark

Search services

1. Search for a trade mark

2. Check the trade marks journal

3. Search trade mark decisions

4. Track a trade mark

Forms and fees

1. Trade mark forms and fees

2. Intellectual Property Office fee sheets

3. How to file documents with the Intellectual Property Office

4. Intellectual Property Office: how to pay us

Managing trade marks

1. Update or surrender your registered trade marks

2. Renew your trade mark

3. Get copies of patent, trade mark or design registration documents

4. License, mortgage, transfer, merge and market your trade mark

5. Correct a trade mark application: witness statement

6. Trade marks: earlier rights

7. Trade marks: rectification

8. Trade mark disputes: unpaid costs orders

9. Warning: misleading invoices

Objecting, challenging and resolving trade marks disputes

1. Defend your intellectual property

2. IP crime and enforcement for businesses and consumers

3. Valuing your intellectual property

4. Objecting to other peoples trade marks and the legal costs

5. Intellectual property mediation

6. Trade mark disputes resolution: hearings

7. Options following an objection to a trade mark examination

8. Trade marks: revocation

9. Trade marks: invalidation

10. Trade marks: fast track opposition

11. Evidence of use: witness statement

12. Statement of use: witness statement

13. Coexistence agreement

14. Search trade mark decisions

Trade mark protection abroad

1. IP protection abroad: country guides

2. Protecting your UK intellectual property abroad

3. Extension of UK intellectual property rights abroad

Law and practice

1. Trade Marks Act 1994

2. Trade Marks Rules

3. Intellectual property offences

4. Manual of trade marks practice

5. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union

6. Tribunal practice notices

7. Practice Amendment Notices (PAN)

8. Trade mark convergence programme: common practice notices

9. Retention and disposal policy for patent and trade mark related records

10. Search trade mark decisions

11. Trade marks tribunal: glossary of terms

Research

1. Intellectual property research: Trade marks and brands

2. Intellectual property research: IP in general

Patents
Quick links

1. Patent forms and fees
2. Search for a patent
3. Renew a patent
4. Changes to Patents Rules on 1 October 2016 and 6 April 2017

Introduction to patents

1. Intellectual property and your work
2. Before you apply for a patent
3. Patents step by step
4. Patenting your invention
5. Seeking intellectual property advice
6. Non-disclosure agreements
7. Why you should use an IP attorney
8. Using somebody else's intellectual property
9. IP for business: events, guidance, tools and case studies
10. IP in education
11. The Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court

Apply for a patent

1. Patent classification
2. Patent fact sheets
3. Patents fast grant
4. Patents: accelerated processing
5. Patent Prosecution Highway
6. National security checks on patent applications
7. Technology prejudicial to national security or public safety
8. Apply for a patent
9. Supplementary protection certificates guidance and forms
10. Patent Cooperation Treaty for private applicants
11. Request UK processing of an international patent application

Search services

1. Check the patents journal
2. Search for a patent
3. Search patent decisions

Forms and fees

1. Patent forms and fees
2. Intellectual Property Office fee sheets
3. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) fees
4. File documents for a pending UK patent
5. How to file documents with the Intellectual Property Office
6. Intellectual Property Office: how to pay us

Managing patents

1. Change or update your patent
2. Renew a patent
3. Get copies of patent, trade mark or design registration documents
4. Licensing intellectual property
5. Amending your patent after grant
6. Requests to amend a patent after grant
7. Apply for restoration of a patent
8. Monitoring patent applications
9. Warning: misleading invoices

Objecting, challenging and resolving patent disputes

1. Defend your intellectual property
2. IP crime and enforcement for businesses and consumers
3. Valuing your intellectual property
4. Observations about patentability
5. Intellectual property mediation
6. Patents: filing proceeding at the IPO
7. Ex parte hearing procedures
8. Opinions: resolving patent disputes
9. Requests for opinions
10. Patent disputes resolution: hearings
11. Patents: hearing diary
12. Search patent decisions

Patent protection abroad

1. Protecting your UK intellectual property abroad
2. IP protection abroad: country guides
3. Extension of UK intellectual property rights abroad

Law and practice

1. The Patents Act 1977
2. The Patents Rules 2007 and Patents (Fees) Rules 2007
3. Patents sections: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
4. Patent directions
5. Patents practice notices
6. Patents RAPS Manual
7. Patents Journal special notices 2017
8. Intellectual property offences
9. Patents: Manual of Patent Practice
10. Patents Formalities manual
11. Opinions manual
12. Hearings Manual
13. Tribunal Patents Manual
14. Examining patent applications for biotechnological inventions
15. Examining patent applications for medical inventions
16. Examining patent applications relating to chemical inventions
17. Retention and disposal policy for patent and trade mark related records
18. Patents: Code of Practice
19. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union
20. Tribunal practice notices
21. Search patent decisions
22. Changes to Patents Rules on 1 October 2016 and 6 April 2017
23. 1 October 2014: Changes to design and patent law

Research

1. Intellectual property research: Patents
2. Intellectual property research: IP in general

Copyright
Quick links

1. Copyright Acts and related laws
2. Intellectual property research: Copyright
3. Intellectual property offences

Introduction to copyright

1. Intellectual property and your work
2. How copyright protects your work
3. Using somebody else's intellectual property
4. IP for business: events, guidance, tools and case studies
5. IP in education
6. Seeking intellectual property advice
7. Copyright in sound recordings
8. Ownership of copyright works
9. Why you should use an IP attorney

Managing copyright

1. License, sell or market your copyright material
2. Artist's Resale Right
3. The rights granted by copyright
4. Warning: misleading invoices

Collective licensing

1. Licensing bodies and collective management organisations
2. How the IPO regulates licensing bodies

Exceptions to copyright

1. Exceptions to copyright
2. Changes to copyright law
3. Changes to Section 72: Public showing or playing of broadcasts
4. Technological protection measures (TPMs) complaints process

Copyright notices

1. Copyright notices
2. Copyright notice: digital images, photographs and the internet
3. Copyright notice: assignment of copyright
4. Copyright notice: performance of live music
5. Copyright notice: knitting and sewing patterns
6. Copyright notice: public exhibition of copyright works
7. Copyright notice: printed music

IP crime

1. IP crime reports

Orphan works

1. Copyright: orphan works
2. Orphan works guidance

Objecting, challenging and resolving copyright disputes

1. Defend your intellectual property
2. IP crime and enforcement for businesses and consumers
3. Enforcing your copyright
4. Letters alleging online copyright infringement
5. Intellectual property mediation
6. Valuing your intellectual property

Using copyright abroad

1. Protecting your UK intellectual property abroad
2. IP protection abroad: country guides
3. Extension of UK intellectual property rights abroad

Law and practice

1. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union
2. Copyright Acts and related laws
3. Intellectual property offences

Research

1. Intellectual property research: Copyright
2. Intellectual property research: IP in general

Designs
Quick links

1. Register a design
2. Find a registered design
3. Apply to register a design
4. Design forms and fees

Introduction to designs

1. Intellectual property and your work
2. Register a design
3. Design right
4. Using somebody else's intellectual property
5. IP for business: events, guidance, tools and case studies
6. IP in education
7. Seeking intellectual property advice
8. Why you should use an IP attorney

Apply for a design

1. Apply to register a design
2. Application to register one or more designs
3. Preparing your illustrations: to disclaim or limit a part of your design

Search services

1. Find a registered design
2. Check the designs journal
3. Designs decisions

Forms and fees

1. Design forms and fees
2. Intellectual Property Office fee sheets
3. How to file documents with the Intellectual Property Office
4. Intellectual Property Office: how to pay us

Managing designs

1. Update or cancel your registered designs
2. Renew your registered design
3. Get copies of patent, trade mark or design registration documents
4. Warning: misleading invoices
5. License, mortgage, sell, change ownership and market your design

Objecting, challenging and resolving design disputes

1. Defend your intellectual property
2. IP crime and enforcement for businesses and consumers
3. Valuing your intellectual property
4. Objecting to other people's designs
5. Intellectual property mediation
6. Designs disputes resolution: hearings
7. Designs decisions

Design protection abroad

1. Protecting your UK intellectual property abroad
2. IP protection abroad: country guides
3. Extension of UK intellectual property rights abroad

Law and practice

1. Registered Designs Act and Rules
2. Designs Statutory Instruments
3. Designs directions
4. Registered Designs Examination Practice
5. Designs practice notices
6. Design convergence programme: common practice notices
7. Intellectual property offences
8. Designs decisions
9. 1 October 2014: Changes to design and patent law
10. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union
11. Design right sections: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Research

1. Intellectual property research: Designs
2. Intellectual property research: IP in general

Law and practice
Trade marks

1. Trade mark forms and fees
2. Trade Marks Act 1994
3. Trade Marks Rules
4. Manual of trade marks practice
5. Intellectual property offences
6. Search for a trade mark
7. Check the trade marks journal
8. Search trade mark decisions
9. Tribunal practice notices
10. Practice Amendment Notices (PAN)
11. Trade mark convergence programme: common practice notices
12. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union

Patents

1. The Patents Act 1977
2. Patent forms and fees
3. The Patents Rules 2007 and Patents (Fees) Rules 2007
4. Patents sections: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
5. Patent directions
6. Patents practice notices
7. Patents Journal special notices 2017
8. Intellectual property offences
9. Patents: Manual of Patent Practice
10. Patents RAPS Manual
11. Patents Formalities manual
12. Opinions manual
13. Hearings Manual
14. Tribunal Patents Manual
15. Examining patent applications for biotechnological inventions
16. Examining patent applications for medical inventions
17. Examining patent applications relating to chemical inventions
18. Retention and disposal policy for patent and trade mark related records
19. Patents: Code of Practice
20. Changes to Patents Rules on 1 October 2016 and 6 April 2017
21. 1 October 2014: Changes to design and patent law
22. Search for a patent
23. File documents for a pending UK patent
24. Check the patents journal
25. Search patent decisions
26. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union
27. Tribunal practice notices

Designs

1. Design forms and fees
2. Registered Designs Act and Rules
3. Registered Designs Examination Practice
4. Designs Statutory Instruments
5. Designs directions
6. Designs practice notices
7. Design convergence programme: common practice notices
8. Intellectual property offences
9. 1 October 2014: Changes to design and patent law
10. Find a registered design
11. Application to register one or more designs
12. Check the designs journal
13. Designs decisions
14. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union
15. Design right sections: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
16. Tribunal practice notices

Copyright

1. Copyright Acts and related laws
2. Copyright: orphan works
3. Orphan works guidance
4. Intellectual property offences
5. References to the Court of Justice of the European Union