How it works
No legal jargon. No complexity. Here's exactly what happens when you use TMGuard to protect your brand.
TMGuard monitors two registers: the UK IPO Trade Marks Journal (published weekly) and the EUIPO register (updated daily). Between them, they cover over 7 million UK and EU trademarks. TMGuard reads both automatically.
Enter your brand name and registration number. TMGuard auto-detects your Nice classes (the categories your trademark covers) and starts watching immediately.
TMGuard monitors every new filing across the UK IPO journal and EUIPO register. Our matching engine checks each one against your brand using 7 different methods: exact match, phonetic similarity, fuzzy matching, Nice class overlap, applicant tracking, keyword detection, and new entrant monitoring.
If we find a potential conflict, you receive an email with the details: what was filed, who filed it, how similar it is to your mark, and what your options are. No noise, only genuine threats.
When TMGuard detects a filing that could conflict with your trademark, we don't just tell you it exists. We give you everything you need to decide what to do.
Your alert email includes:
Every conflict gets a score from 0 to 100. This is not a legal opinion, it's an algorithmic estimate of how close the match is to your trademark.
The score is calculated from five factors: text similarity (40%), Nice class overlap (25%), goods/services similarity (20%), applicant history (10%), and mark type (5%).
You always have four choices. TMGuard helps you understand each one, but the decision is always yours.
File a formal opposition with the IPO. You have 2 months from publication. Cost: £200 IPO fee + professional fees (typically £5,000-15,000). TMGuard can generate draft forms and connect you with a specialist.
File a TM7a (notice of threatened opposition) to buy an extra month. This is free to file and gives you time to seek advice. TMGuard tracks this deadline for you.
Not sure what to do? TMGuard can prepare a case packet with all the relevant data and connect you with a trademark solicitor. They can advise whether action is worthwhile.
Sometimes a filing isn't a real threat. If you choose not to act, the mark proceeds to registration. Your options narrow after registration (cancellation is more expensive than opposition).
When you click “Speak to a Trademark Specialist” on a high-risk match, TMGuard generates a case packet, a summary document that gives a solicitor everything they need to advise you quickly.
A case packet includes:
This saves you from paying a solicitor to research the basics. They can jump straight to advising you on strategy.
Start with a free trademark check, or sign up to monitor your brand automatically.