Trademark

your slogan

Can I trademark a phrase or slogan?

Yes. You can trademark a phrase and get a registered trademark for your slogan.

At Trademark Planet you can trademark your brand name, which is a word mark such as a business name or a product name.

You can also trademark your logo – an image which may or may not include stylised words. Did you know that you can also trademark your slogan?

Read our article, Can I trademark a phrase? to check that the words in your slogan meet the criteria for registrability as a word trademark or if a logo would be better.

Can you copyright a phrase?

Generally, short phrases like slogans don’t attract copyright protection.

However, in many cases, distinctive taglines will be able to be trademarked.

So the best way to actively protect your slogan is to register the phrase as a trademark.

Trademark slogan examples

A trademark for a slogan is essentially a trademark consisting of words – a word trademark. A slogan might be a phrase, a tagline, a catchy quote, a clever saying, your motto or even a full sentence you want consumers to associate with your business or brand.

Here are some famous examples of slogans from British brands you should know:

Tesco. Every little helps

Cadbury’s. There’s a glass and a half in everyone.

Go well, Go Shell.

Have a break, have a Kit Kat.

You’ll also probably instantly recognise the owners of these slogans, even though they don’t mention their famous brand name in their trademark phrase:

Because you’re worth it!

Just do it.

Think different.

Diamonds are forever.

When used effectively, slogans can be powerful brand elements that help consumers remember and immediately identify the parent brand.

The most effective slogans are:

Sticky or easy to remember
Timeless
Short and sharp
Unique
Believable
Convey your vision, values or benefits

Why trademark a solgan or phrase?

In a crowded and ‘noisy’ marketplace, a powerful slogan could potentially make the difference between success and mediocrity! It can enable your business to upstage the crowd and cut across other generic marketing messages.

1. A slogan represents your brand

Your slogan should be unforgettable. An effective slogan or tagline can be a valuable asset that conveys your brand message and key benefits to your target audience.

2. Powerful, nationwide exclusivity to use your slogan

Once you’ve registered your slogan as a trademark, your business can enjoy exclusively using the slogan or phrase that you have protected. A registration gives you legal grounds to take action against any copycats who might try to imitate you.

In our article, Why trademarks are important for brand protection, you’ll see the example of a small business owner whose slogan was copied by a corporate retailer – and how having a registered trademark was a saving grace for them.

How to trademark a slogan or phrase?

1. Create a unique slogan

Unique and distinctive is always better.
Read our article, Can I trademark a phrase? to find out why.

2. Identify the category

Identify the relevant products or services you want to use your slogan for. For example, selling beer, soap or painting services? Our smart technology helps you with this bit!

3. Determine the trademark owner

Work out who will be responsible for the trademark registration – it could be your business or you as an individual.

4. Submit your application

With Trademark Planet you can submit your trademark application yourself, in minutes using our online trademark registration process.

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Description tAt Trademark Planet, our pricing is straightforward and there are no hidden fees. Unlike some who charge a fee for the application and another “success” fee later on registration, with us you only pay once.
All-inclusive fee for one trademark application: £390 (one category)
Additional category fee: £100 (per category)
VAT is not payable on trademark phrase application fees.
We accept PayPal and payment via card using Stripe’s secure payment gateway.
In total, the UK trademark registration process usually takes about 4-5 months.
Completing your trademark application via Trademark Planet should only take a matter of minutes. We then submit your application to the UK trademark office, who should examine your slogan within a month and notify us if it is approved. We will keep you updated by email throughout the process.
If your slogan is approved, it will be advertised for a period of two months to allow others to object to registration. Assuming there is no opposition to your trademark, then your application should be registered within a few weeks. In total, the process usually takes about 4-5 months.
A UK trademark registration only gives you protection in the UK. To extend your brand protection, you’ll need to register your phrase as a trademark in all the countries in which you use it.
Trademark Planet also offers online trademark registration services in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Benelux (covering Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg).
Once you have a local trademark registration, you can quite easily apply for a trademark in 90 other countries via the Madrid Protocol. Contact us if you’d like to pursue this option.