A trade mark protects any sign or symbol that allows your customers to tell you apart from your competitors. You can register a name, logo, slogan, domain name, shape, colour or sound, but it must be distinctive for your particular product or service and cannot resemble any competing trade marks. 

New legislation in October 2007 means that new trademark applications will no longer be automatically blocked if there is an earlier conflicting mark.

If you do not register your trade mark it will rely on the common law of passing off. If register a trade mark you must renew it every 10 years to keep it in force.

Check the trade mark is available for you to use and register. If it is, you should apply for registration before someone else beats you to it.