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Before you commit to a trademark application in the United Kingdom, a clearance search tells you whether your brand name, logo, or slogan is genuinely free to register. Our team at Brealant guides you through a thorough search process so you can move forward with confidence.
What a Trademark Search Involves
A trademark search checks the UKIPO Trade Marks Register, the Companies House register of company names, and common-law sources for marks identical or confusingly similar to yours in the same or related classes.
Purpose and Function of a Trademark Search
Under the Trade Marks Act 1994, UKIPO examiners search the register and notify you of any similar earlier marks, but they generally won't refuse your application on that basis alone — it's left to the earlier owner to oppose. A pre-filing search flags that opposition risk before you commit.
Protecting Your Filing Strategy
A thorough search helps Brealant recommend the strongest way to file — including classes, elements, and wording — giving your mark the best chance of registering without challenge.
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Contact
Reach out to Brealant, your trusted trademark agent in the United Kingdom, to discuss the mark you want to search.
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Search
Our team runs a comprehensive search of the UKIPO register, Companies House, common-law marks, and domain availability.
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Quote
Receive a service quote tailored to the scope of the search you need.
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Pay
Proceed with secure payment for the selected search service.
File
Brealant compiles the findings into a clear, written clearance report.
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Wait
Our team finalises its analysis of similarity, class overlap, and distinctiveness risk.
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Response
You receive your clearance report with a plain-English filing recommendation.
In the United Kingdom, a trademark search reviews the UKIPO Trade Marks Register and related sources to identify conflicting marks before you file. Because UKIPO notifies both you and the owners of similar earlier marks during examination rather than refusing outright, understanding what's already on the register is the clearest way to gauge your real opposition risk.
A trademark search protects more than your application fee — it protects the time, marketing spend, and brand equity you're about to invest in a name. Because UKIPO leaves conflicting marks to be resolved through opposition rather than automatic refusal, Brealant's search gives you the evidence to file, or rethink your branding, before an earlier owner has the chance to object.
A search significantly reduces risk, but it has real limits worth understanding before you file
No Absolute Guarantee
No search, however thorough, can guarantee UKIPO won't raise an objection, or that an earlier owner won't oppose, during the process.
Unregistered Rights
Common-law rights built through use and protected by the law of passing off can be harder to identify with certainty.
Pending Applications
Very recently filed applications may not yet be visible on the public register at the time of search.
Descriptiveness & Distinctiveness
A search checks for conflicts, not whether UKIPO will consider your mark descriptive or non-distinctive.
EU and Foreign Rights
Since Brexit, a UK search does not check the separate EUIPO register, and it does not clear your mark for use or registration outside the UK.
Brealant explains these limits clearly in every search report, so you know exactly what comfort the search gives you.
A thorough UK trademark search reviews multiple layers of the register to protect your filing decision. Our search covers
Word Marks
Identical and phonetically or visually similar brand names and taglines on the UKIPO register.
Logos & Devices
Graphical and combined marks that could be considered confusingly similar in overall impression.
Class Overlap
Marks registered in the same or related Nice classification classes as your goods or services.
Company & Business Names
Registered names on the Companies House register that could indicate a conflicting common-law user.
Partnering with Brealant means every layer of risk is checked before you commit to filing.
A search moves considerably faster than a full application. It typically involves
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Briefing
You provide the mark and the goods/services it will cover, generally within a day of first contact.
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Searching
Brealant runs the register, Companies House, and common-law checks, usually completed within 1 to 3 business days.
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Analysis
Our team reviews similarity, class overlap, and distinctiveness risk against everything found.
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Reporting
You receive the finished clearance report and filing recommendation.
Most UK trademark searches are completed within 2 to 5 business days of instruction, depending on complexity.
Search costs are modest compared to the cost of a rejected or opposed application
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Brealant offers a free preliminary check of the UKIPO register to flag obvious conflicts.
A detailed written clearance report, covering common-law and Companies House checks, is offered as a fixed professional fee.
These costs are a small, worthwhile investment set against the far higher cost of a rejected or opposed application.
Once your search is complete, Brealant can move straight into preparing and filing your application, so the momentum from a clear result isn't lost. If your search reveals risk, our team will also advise on alternative branding or filing strategies to keep your project moving.
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No search can guarantee registration, since UKIPO may still raise other objections such as descriptiveness, but a clearance search removes the most common cause of dispute: conflicting earlier marks.
No, UKIPO does not require a search before filing, but skipping this step significantly increases the risk of opposition or a later dispute.
Yes. Brealant searches word marks, logos, and combined marks, and advises on the best filing strategy for each element of your brand.
No — since Brexit, UK and EU trademark rights are entirely separate. We can arrange a corresponding EUIPO search if you also need protection in the EU.
Brealant offers a free preliminary register check, with a fixed fee for the full clearance report — we quote this before you commit.
Anyone can request a search — you don't need to be a UK resident, a UK company, or already have a pending application to check the register.
Brealant checks for marks that are visually, phonetically, or conceptually similar for related goods or services, not just exact matches, since these are the marks most likely to trigger an opposition.
Yes, alongside the UKIPO register we check for unregistered trading names and brands that could support a passing off claim, since these rights aren't visible on the register itself.
Yes — if you plan to use a UK filing as the basis for a Madrid Protocol application, clearing conflicts in the UK first avoids carrying an avoidable objection into every country you designate.
Brealant will advise on your options, which typically include amending the mark or goods/services list, approaching the other owner about coexistence, or choosing a different mark before you file.
Discover more insights and stay informed about the latest in intellectual property with Brealant's blog. From expert advice on trademark registration and patent protection to strategies for safeguarding your brand in a competitive market, our resources are here to empower your business. .
Explore our blog to learn how effective IP management can strengthen your brand's position and protect your innovations
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