Guidance

Trade marks: rectification

Rectification is the legal procedure which allows anyone to apply to correct an error or omission to the recorded details of a registered trade mark.

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 15 May 2014
• Last updated: 18 November 2019 — See all updates

Documents

Rectification proceedings before the Trade Marks Tribunal

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Rectifying an error in your registered trade mark

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Guidance following the filing of a defence: rectification

PDF, 886 KB, 5 pages

Details

Once the trade mark has been registered, any person with ‘sufficient interest’ in the trade mark may apply for rectification provided that the application is not made in respect of a matter affecting the validity of the registration.

A person or business for whom an error or omission in the register may have legal or economic consequences will have ‘sufficient interest’ to seek rectification.

Examples of rectification

Rectification can be used for example to correct:

• words or terms used to describe items in the list of goods or services which are self-evidently erroneous and no other party could possibly be disadvantaged by their correction
• applicant’s or proprietor’s name and/or address, which appears on the register incorrectly and, on the basis of evidence provided, was entered in error
• cases of genuine mistaken identity where the intention was always to name one person as the owner of the mark, but due to a mistake another person was named in error

Rectification cannot be used for example to:

• alter the trade mark
• add to the list of goods and services for which the mark is registered
• ask for another person to be substituted as the owner of the trade mark because they have an earlier right to the trade mark (other than the owner of a well known mark registered in the UK by an agent of the foreign owner) and/or it is alleged that the application was made in ‘bad faith’. In such cases an application for invalidity may be more appropriate

Apply for rectification

If you want to rectify a trade mark registration then you must file a TM26(R) ‘Application to rectify the register’ (no fee) accompanied by a statement of grounds on which the application is made, together with any evidence to support those grounds.

Glossary of terms

The Trade marks tribunal: glossary of terms is also available.

Published 15 May 2014
Last updated 18 November 2019 + show all updates

1. 18 November 2019

   The London office address has moved.

2. 14 June 2018

   Guidance following the filing of a defence: rectification

3. 15 May 2014

   First published.