Intellectual Property Office

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights in the UK, such as patents, designs, trade marks and copyright. It operates as an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and supports education and enforcement to help businesses protect and commercialise their ideas.

For entrepreneurs, the IPO is the frontline service for protecting their brand or invention in the UK. It manages the online application systems, such as a ‘Right Start’ route, which allows businesses to check trade mark applications for eligibility before paying full fees, and maintains Britain’s public IP registers. 

Since 1 January 2021, following the UK’s exit from the European Union, the IPO has maintained comparable UK trade marks for existing EU right-holders. As such, founders now need separate UK protection if they want to ensure complete UK coverage.

The IPO is currently going through a major digital upgrade known as “One IPO”. This is a single, integrated service aims to provide a centralised platform for all matters related to British IP rights, meaning that innovators can apply for, manage, research and challenge UK IP in one place. In January 2025, the IPO launched One IPO Search, a new keyword patent search tool replacing IPSUM, with further unified services to let users manage patents, trade marks and designs in one place. 

The IPO also provides practical support to SMEs. This includes IP Advance, a refreshed grant scheme piloted from July 2024 that helps SMEs fund professional IP audits and develop long-term commercial strategies.

Further reading

• GOV.UK — Intellectual Property Office (overview)

• GOV.UK — EU trade mark protection and comparable UK trade marks (post-Brexit rules)

• GOV.UK — New patent search tool to boost UK innovation (One IPO Search)

• GOV.UK — Trade mark applications

• Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys — UK IPO launches refreshed SME financial support scheme