Dead UK trade marks

A trade mark goes “dead” on the UK IPO register when its registration is removed and the owner no longer holds exclusive rights. The register currently lists 10,001 dead UK trade marks, ranging from Victorian-era word marks to recent applications that lapsed for non-payment. Some sources call these dead trademarks; the UK IPO and this site use the two-word form.

What does “dead” mean on the UK trade marks register?

The UK IPO marks a registration as dead when it has been formally removed from the register. The common routes to dead status are non-renewal at the ten-year point, surrender by the owner, cancellation following a successful opposition, and removal under section 46 for non-use.

A dead mark loses its statutory protection. The former owner may still hold unregistered (common law) rights through continued trading, and the registration can sometimes be restored within a window after removal. Neither status guarantees that the name is free for anyone else to register as a new trademark.

How is “dead” different from “expired”, “removed”, and “surrendered”?

Status	Trigger	Original owner rights	Revivable?
Expired	Renewal fee not paid by deadline	Six-month grace period to renew with late fee	Yes, within grace period
Dead	Removed from register after grace period	None on the registration; common law rights may persist	Restoration possible in limited circumstances
Surrendered	Owner voluntarily withdraws the registration	None	No
Removed	Cancelled following opposition, revocation, or invalidity	None	No