How to Copyright a Podcast Name: A UK Founder's Guide

You cannot copyright a podcast name, and anyone who tells you otherwise is pointing you at the wrong law. Names are brands, so the protection you actually want is a registered trade mark through the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), which costs £170 online for one class and takes around four to five months.

That distinction matters more than it sounds. Get it wrong and you spend money on a form that protects nothing, then watch a competitor launch a show with your name and better SEO.

Here is what protection really means for a podcast, and how to lock yours down.

Key Takeaways

• Copyright covers your episodes, scripts, and cover art automatically. It does not cover your show's name.
• A podcast name is protected by trade mark law, not copyright. Register it with the UK IPO.
• UK online trade mark application: £170 for the first class, £50 for each additional class (source: gov.uk).
• Search the IPO register and Companies House before you file, and before you even name the show.
• Registration takes roughly four to five months, including a two-month opposition window.
• Free "protection" like using your name publicly gives you weak unregistered rights only. A registration is the real asset.

Copyright vs Trade Mark: Why the Question Is Slightly Wrong

Copyright protects original creative works. The moment you record an episode, write show notes, or design artwork, copyright exists automatically in the UK. No form, no fee. That already covers a huge amount of what you make.

What copyright never touches is a name. "The Wave", "The Daily", "Diary of a CEO" are all brands. Brands are the territory of trade mark law. So when people ask how to copyright a podcast name, the useful answer is that they want a registered trade mark instead.

A trade mark stops another business from trading under a name that customers would confuse with yours, within the categories you register for. That is the thing worth paying for.

What You Get for Free (and Why It's Not Enough)

Use a name in commerce for long enough and you build up what UK law calls unregistered rights, enforceable through a passing off claim. In theory you can stop a copycat.

In practice, passing off is expensive to prove and slow to enforce. You have to show you have a reputation, that the other party misrepresented themselves, and that you suffered damage. That is a lot of evidence and legal cost for a growing show that just wants to keep its name.

A registered trade mark flips the burden. You hold a government-backed certificate that says the name is yours in your class. Most disputes end the moment you send that certificate over, long before anyone hires a lawyer.

How to Trademark a Podcast Name in the UK: Step by Step

1. Search before you commit

Before you spend a penny, check the name is clear. Run three searches:

• The IPO trade mark register at gov.uk
• Companies House for existing company names
• A plain web and podcast-directory search across Apple Podcasts and Spotify

If a registered mark already exists in a related class, change your name now. Renaming a show with 5,000 downloads is annoying. Renaming one with 500,000 is a business event.

2. Pick the right classes

Trade marks are registered against classes of goods and services under the Nice Classification. Podcasts usually sit in:

• Class 41 (entertainment, education, production of audio and video content)
• Class 38 (broadcasting and streaming) in some cases
• Class 9 (downloadable audio and media files) if you distribute recordings as products

Most independent shows start with Class 41. If you sell courses, merch, or run events under the same brand, add the classes that cover those revenue lines.

3. File the application

Apply online through the IPO. You submit the name, the classes, and pay the fee. The current fee structure:

Figures per the UK Intellectual Property Office fee schedule on gov.uk. Always check the live page before filing, as fees change.

4. Examination and publication

An IPO examiner reviews your application, then publishes it in the Trade Marks Journal for two months. During that window, other rights holders can oppose. This is exactly why the upfront search matters so much.

5. Registration

No opposition, no problems, and your mark registers. You now own it for ten years and can renew indefinitely. Add the ® symbol once registration is granted. Using ® before that point is an offence, so stick to ™ while you wait.

Should You Register in the UK, the EU, or the US?

Depends on where your audience and money are. A trade mark is territorial, so a UK registration protects you in the UK only.

Most UK podcasters start with a UK mark and expand only when a specific market becomes commercially real. Do not pay to protect territories you have no presence in.

Do You Need a Lawyer?

For a clean, distinctive name in one class, you can file yourself. The IPO forms are built for that.

Bring in a trade mark attorney when the name is descriptive, when a similar mark already exists, or when the show is tied to a bigger brand you cannot afford to lose. The cost of advice is small next to the cost of an opposition you did not see coming.

Protecting the Name Is Step One, Building the Brand Is the Real Work

A registered name is a fence. It keeps other people out. It does nothing to make your show the one people actually search for and subscribe to.

That is the harder job, and the one that pays. A podcast becomes an asset when the production quality, the guest calibre, and the distribution turn a name into authority. We build that engine for UK founders and MDs at The Wave, and you can read about the shows we produce on our case studies page or learn more about The Wave.

FAQ

Can you copyright a podcast name? No. Copyright protects recorded episodes and artwork, not names. A podcast name is a brand, so you protect it with a registered trade mark through the UK Intellectual Property Office.

How much does it cost to trademark a podcast name in the UK? The IPO charges £170 for an online application covering one class, plus £50 for each extra class, per gov.uk.

How long does UK trademark registration take? Roughly four to five months if nobody objects, including a two-month publication period.

Do I need a lawyer to trademark my podcast name? Not for a straightforward name. Professional help earns its cost when your name is borderline or a similar mark already exists.

What if someone already uses my podcast name? Search the IPO register and Companies House first. If a registered mark exists in the same class, choose a different name.

Ready to Make the Name Worth Protecting?

A trade mark keeps copycats out. A great show gives them a reason to copy you in the first place. If you want a podcast and video engine that turns your brand into real authority and real demand, book a Discovery Audit and we will map the fastest route from where you are now.