IP IntelligenceIP Lex ›Sign inBook a service

IP Intelligence › Ask a Question › Who should own my trademark?

Guided answer

Who should own my trademark?

The proprietor you choose affects who can sue, who can sell and what happens if the business changes. Pick the closest situation.

Apply in your own name and keep evidence of use.

Lower complexity

  • Any person claiming to be the proprietor of a mark used or proposed to be used can apply (section 18(1)).
  • The official fee table has a lower category for individuals, startups and small enterprises on the main application form. We do not quote amounts; check the current table.
  • If you are already using the mark, state the period of use and be ready to file an affidavit with documents (rule 25).
  • Think ahead: if you later incorporate, the registered mark must be assigned to the company and the change recorded (sections 37-38; rules 75-76).

Read next

Start again

Not sure whether this applies to your invention?

The honest answer usually needs someone to look at your actual disclosure, your timeline and the prior art. That is a conversation, not an article.