Guidance
Trade marks: invalidation
Invalidation is the legal procedure which allows anyone to try and remove a trade mark from our register as if it had never been registered
Documents
Details
You may apply to remove the entire registration, or only some of the goods or services it covers.
If you start invalidation proceedings, you become the ‘applicant’ in the case.
The main reasons why you may want to invalidate, or partly invalidate, the registration of a trade mark are:
- you think the trade mark is one which is not unique to the proprietor and should be free for you (or anyone) in that line of trade to use
- you own a trade mark (which does not have to be registered itself) which is the same as, or similar to, the proprietor’s trade mark
Start invalidation proceedings
You should consider getting professional advice before you decide anything.
Send us:
- a form TM26(I) ‘Application to declare invalid a registration or a protected international trade mark (UK)’ and statement of grounds by post
Glossary of terms
The Trade marks tribunal: glossary of terms is also available.
Published 8 May 2014
Last updated 18 November 2019 + show all updates
Last updated 18 November 2019 + show all updates
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The London office address has moved.
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To reflect the changes to legislation which came into effect on 14 January 2019 under SI2018/825.
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Guidance document updated.
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First published.