{"id":196248,"date":"2026-03-11T06:06:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T06:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=196248"},"modified":"2026-03-11T23:03:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T23:03:07","slug":"trade-mark-transfer-liquidation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/trade-mark-transfer-liquidation\/","title":{"rendered":"Trade Mark Transfer When Companies Enter Liquidation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When a company enters liquidation<\/a>, its trade marks become part of the assets that must be dealt with by the liquidator. Understanding what happens to these valuable intellectual property rights is crucial for business owners, creditors, and potential purchasers. This article explores trade mark transfers during company liquidation, covering liquidator sales, bona vacantia, and how to protect your IP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liquidation Trade Mark Transfer Rules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When a company enters liquidation, all its assets, including trade marks, vest in the liquidator, whose primary duty is to realise these assets to pay creditors. Trade marks can be sold or transferred like any other asset. The transfer must be recorded at the Intellectual Property Office<\/a> (IPO) to be effective against third parties. Without registration of the assignment, the new owner cannot enforce the trade mark against infringers. The IPO charges \u00a350 to record assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The liquidator will investigate the value of all assets, including intellectual property, and may commission valuations of well-known or actively used trade marks. Interested parties can contact the liquidator to express interest in purchasing trade marks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Crown Ownership After Liquidation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the liquidator cannot find a buyer for registered trade marks<\/a>, they may pass to the Crown as bona vacantia when the company dissolves. The Crown, through the Treasury Solicitor, becomes the owner of these trade marks. However, the Crown does not actively manage or enforce these rights in most cases. Interested parties can apply to the Treasury Solicitor to purchase trade marks that have passed as bona vacantia. This involves making an offer and demonstrating a legitimate interest in acquiring the mark. The Crown will typically consider reasonable offers, particularly if the applicant intends to use the trade mark commercially, although there is a minimum purchase price (currently \u00a31,000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Continue reading this article below the form\n <\/i>\n<\/a>\n

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