Guidance

Trade marks: revocation

Revocation is the legal procedure that allows anyone to try and remove a trade mark from the UK register.

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 12 May 2014
• Last updated: 18 November 2019 — See all updates

Documents

Revocation (non-use) proceedings

HTML

Guidance following the filing of a defence: revocation (non-use)

PDF, 845 KB, 6 pages

Revocation (for reasons other than non-use) proceedings

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Guidance following the filing of a defence: revocation proceedings (for reasons other than non-use)

PDF, 860 KB, 6 pages

Details

You may apply to remove the entire registration, or only some of the goods or services it covers.

If you start revocation proceedings, you become the ‘applicant’ in the case.

Revocation for reasons of non-use

If you think a registered trade mark has not been used in the UK on the goods or services for which it is registered, either by the proprietor or by someone else with the proprietor’s agreement:

• in the five years since the trade mark was registered
• for any uninterrupted period of five years after registration
• and there are no proper reasons why the trade mark has not been used

then you can apply to revoke or partly revoke it.

Revocation for reasons other than non-use

You may want to revoke, or partly revoke, the registration of a trade mark, for other reasons than non-use. Either:

• the trade mark has become ‘generic’ which means that it has become the common name in the trade for goods or services for which it is registered
• because use of the trade mark is likely to mislead the public, particularly as to the nature, quality or geographical origin of the goods or services on which it has been used

Start revocation proceedings

You should consider getting professional advice before you decide anything.

Send us:

• either a form TM26(N) ‘Application to revoke a registration or a protected international trade mark (UK) for reasons of non-use’ and statement of grounds
• a form TM26(O) ‘Application to revoke a registration or a protected international trade mark (UK) for reasons other than non-use’ and statement of grounds by post

Glossary of terms

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

Published 12 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: revocation (non-use) and Guidance following the filing of a defence: revocation proceedings (for reasons other than non-use) documents updated.

3. 12 May 2014

   First published.