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.

Documents

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 faithâ€�. 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

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Trade marks tribunal: glossary of terms is also available.

Updates to this page

Published 15 May 2014
Last updated 18 November 2019 show all updates
  1. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp London office address has moved.

  2. Guidance following the filing of a defence: rectification

  3. First published.

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