Which Industries Abandon the Most Trade Marks? A UK Register Analysis
We analysed the full UK IPO trade mark register — over 1.3 million records — to find out which industries have the highest rates of trade mark abandonment, where the biggest opportunities lie for entrepreneurs looking for available brand names, and what the data tells us about the health of different sectors.
The Headline Numbers
Of the 1.3 million UK trade marks on the register, roughly 500,000 — just under 40% — are no longer active. They've expired, been cancelled, surrendered, or refused. That's a huge pool of potentially available brand names, though as we always emphasise, "expired" and "available" are not the same thing.
The rate of abandonment varies enormously by Nice class. Some classes see more than half of all registrations eventually lapse. Others hold steady with renewal rates above 70%.
The Top 10 Classes by Expiry Rate
| Rank | Class | Description | Approx. Expired | Expiry Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Paper goods & printed matter | 24,100+ | ~52% |
| 2 | 28 | Games & sporting goods | 12,800+ | ~49% |
| 3 | 14 | Jewellery & watches | 11,400+ | ~48% |
| 4 | 25 | Clothing & footwear | 42,800+ | ~47% |
| 5 | 18 | Leather goods & bags | 10,200+ | ~46% |
| 6 | 3 | Cosmetics & cleaning | 17,600+ | ~45% |
| 7 | 30 | Food products | 14,900+ | ~44% |
| 8 | 33 | Alcoholic beverages | 12,100+ | ~44% |
| 9 | 32 | Beers & soft drinks | 9,800+ | ~43% |
| 10 | 21 | Household utensils | 7,200+ | ~42% |
The Bottom 5 (Lowest Expiry Rates)
| Rank | Class | Description | Expiry Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 36 | Financial services | ~29% |
| 42 | 45 | Legal & security services | ~28% |
| 43 | 39 | Transport & storage | ~30% |
| 44 | 42 | Science & technology | ~31% |
| 45 | 44 | Medical services | ~27% |
What Drives Abandonment?
The pattern is clear once you see it. Industries with low barriers to entry, high failure rates, and trend-driven products have the highest abandonment rates. Industries with high barriers, long investment horizons, and regulatory requirements have the lowest.
High abandonment sectors
Class 25 (Clothing & footwear) has the highest absolute number of expired marks at over 42,800. Fashion is notoriously brutal — new brands launch constantly, most fail within a few years, and the trade mark lapses along with the business. The ten-year renewal cycle means a brand registered in a burst of optimism comes up for renewal right around the time most fashion startups have folded.
Class 16 (Paper goods & printed matter) has the highest expiry rate. This class covers everything from magazines to greeting cards to printed packaging. The shift to digital has made many Class 16 registrations redundant — businesses that once needed protection for printed materials have moved online and let these marks lapse without replacing them with Class 9 (digital) or Class 35 (online retail) equivalents.
Class 33 (Alcoholic beverages) is interesting. The craft spirits and independent brewing boom of the 2010s saw a huge wave of new registrations, many of which are now coming up for their first renewal. Businesses that didn't survive are driving the abandonment rate up.
Low abandonment sectors
Class 44 (Medical services) has the lowest expiry rate at around 27%. Medical businesses tend to be long-lived, heavily regulated, and deeply invested in their brand identity. Doctors' practices, care homes, and health clinics rarely rebrand, and the regulatory overhead means the trade mark renewal is just another item on the compliance calendar.
Class 36 (Financial services) is similarly sticky. FCA-authorised firms, banks, and insurers treat their registered trade marks as part of their regulatory infrastructure. Rebranding is expensive and disruptive in financial services, so marks tend to be maintained even through ownership changes and mergers.
Class 42 (Science & technology) also retains well. Tech companies that survive long enough to face their first renewal are typically established enough to continue. The high proportion of B2B and enterprise tech firms in this class — companies that can't easily change their brand without losing client trust — contributes to the low abandonment rate.
Where Are the Opportunities?
If you're looking for available brand names in specific sectors, the data suggests focusing on:
Fashion and accessories (Classes 25, 18, 14): The sheer volume of expired marks means there's a deep pool to search. Many of these will be from small businesses that traded briefly and generated minimal goodwill, making them lower-risk candidates for re-registration.
Food and drink (Classes 30, 32, 33): The craft food and drink boom left a trail of expired marks behind it. Artisan brands that launched in 2012–2016 and failed are now showing up as expired. These names were often creative and distinctive — exactly the kind of names that work well for new ventures.
Print and publishing (Class 16): The digital migration has left a graveyard of Class 16 marks. Magazine titles, imprint names, and publishing brands that no longer exist in print form. Some of these carry interesting creative equity.
Games and toys (Class 28): Another sector with high churn. Board game names, toy brands, and sporting goods labels that didn't make it. The nostalgic appeal of reviving a remembered-but-forgotten toy brand has genuine commercial potential.
A Word of Caution
High abandonment rates correlate with high business failure rates. The same dynamics that create a large pool of expired marks also mean:
- The sectors are competitive and hard to succeed in
- The original businesses failed for reasons that may still apply
- Some expired names may carry negative associations (product recalls, scandals, quality issues)
Always check why a mark was abandoned, not just that it was. A mark surrendered voluntarily after a rebrand is very different from one that expired because the owner went into administration owing money to customers.
Methodology
This analysis is based on the full UK IPO trade mark register as ingested into ExpiredTrademarks.co.uk. "Expired" includes marks with status: expired, dead, removed, cancelled, and surrendered. Expiry rates are calculated as expired marks divided by total marks in each class. Figures are approximate and rounded. Individual mark availability depends on numerous factors beyond registration status.
Explore the Data
Search expired marks by Nice class on ExpiredTrademarks.co.uk. Premium subscribers can export up to 10,000 records per class to CSV for detailed analysis.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. An expired trade mark registration does not mean a name is available for use or registration. Always consult a qualified trade mark attorney before filing an application.