£205 Trademark Fees and Chinese Filing Surge Signal UKIPO System Under Strain

The UK Intellectual Property Office implemented a 25% average fee increase on 1 April 2026, raising the cost of a standard online trademark application from £170 to £205. The adjustment, the first for trade marks since 1998, comes as Chinese applicants contributed more trademark filings than all other non-UK filers combined in 2025.

The IPO's fees have not increased since 2018 for patents, 2016 for designs and 1998 for trade marks. During this time, the IPO has avoided fee increases by improving efficiency and investing in digital services using existing reserves. But there has been a 32% rise in inflation since 2016. Fees will increase by an average of 25% on 1 April 2026.

The Chinese Factor

Another record year for trademark filings at the UK Intellectual Property Office was driven by applications from China, which contributed more than all other non-UK filings put together. The trend continues to drive concerns from some over unregulated trademark representatives in the UK.

This surge follows geopolitical shifts. In April 2025, President Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports to the US. He imposed a 34% tariff and also scrapped a rule that had allowed small packages under $800 to enter without tax. These changes made it more expensive for Chinese companies to sell in America. Their goods became less competitive there, so Chinese companies started shifting focus to other markets like the UK.

In 2023, the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) raised an eyebrow at the top trademark filing representatives in the UK, as unregulated Chinese entities took first and third place, with Stobbs IP as the only legitimate representative in the top three. Firms report the delays caused and additional costs to clients and, alongside CITMA, have urged the UKIPO to investigate the problem.

Not all of these filings seem tied to real business. Catherine Wolfe, a partner at Boult Wade Tennant (an IP law firm), says the scale of applications "implies a disconnect between the filing practice and the trading".

Digital Transformation Pressure

The fee increase coincides with the IPO's ambitious One IPO Transformation Programme. The IPO's current trade mark system, TM10, has served us since 2013, but the environment in which it operates has changed significantly. To meet the needs of modern applicants, rights holders and legal representatives, our trade mark services and system will be transformed as part of Phase 2 of the One IPO Transformation Programme.

Phase 2 will formally begin once Phase 1 is complete and the new One IPO services for patents enters Public Beta in the coming months. When the trade mark service transitions to the new One IPO system, customers can expect to see a number of key improvements. These include: The ability to create an IPO account providing a single place to view, manage and update trade mark applications and registrations.

This increase will allow the IPO to address both the rise in inflation and future cost pressures that cannot be fully offset through further efficiency savings or existing reserves. The fee increases will mean the IPO can continue to invest in its systems and provide high quality services.

Practice Impact

For organisations with multiple filings or large portfolios, the cumulative effect of a 25% increase can be significant. Higher official fees will apply to new applications, renewals, oppositions, invalidations and recordals filed on or after 1 April 2026, meaning routine portfolio management will become noticeably more expensive.

Importantly, the date of payment is what matters. If a filing or renewal fee is paid before 1 April 2026, the current lower fee will apply, even if the relevant deadline falls later in the year.

The 150-Year Mark

As the UK trade mark registry marks 150 years, this milestone offers an opportunity to look ahead at what the future may hold for the UK trade mark system. As part of IPO's Transformation Programme, the future move to the new One IPO digital platform will modernise how trade marks are applied for and managed, while AI is shaping how customers interact with the IPO and how people engage with brands.

Britain created the world's first trademark register in 1876. Now, 150 years later, that system faces pressure from inflation, technological change, and a global filing pattern that challenges traditional IP practice models.

AI is already having a noticeable impact on the trade mark system, with the IPO seeing AI‑generated content being filed as part of trade mark applications and during Tribunal proceedings. As this inevitably increases, there may be a need for new or enhanced tools to support operations and manage demand.

What's Next

The combination of higher fees and record filing volumes creates a pressure test for UK IP infrastructure. Whether the One IPO transformation can address capacity constraints while maintaining examination quality will determine if the 25% fee increase represents a course correction or merely a prelude to deeper systemic reforms.

Even after the increase, UKIPO fees are expected to remain lower than or comparable to many other major IP offices, particularly for trade marks and designs. That competitive positioning may become crucial as the office handles the next phase of its digital evolution.