Registering your title

You do not have to register a title, but:

If the title or one very like it has been used before, then the previous owner may be able to stop you from using it. You can find out if your title has been used before with BRAD (British Rate and Data), the monthly guide to media selection published by Emap Media, available in business libraries or large public reference libraries. BRAD can also be accessed online at www.brad.co.uk.
It is possible to register a title as a trademark. To find out if a title is registered by someone else you should search at the trademark registry in class 16, on 01633 811 010. This service will cost you £100.
If no-one else has the title you may want to register it in your name as a trade mark at the registry. This will cost £200. You should seriously consider doing so if you have not yet launched and want to reserve the title, and if you want to protect your rights after launch.
You may not be succesful if the title is descriptive (but equally, the more descriptive your title the less likely it is that someone else will already be using it); in the long term you will be able to register the title if you can prove that it is distinctive through long use.
You should also consider registering your title as a domain name with Nominet, www.nic.uk.
If you want a barcode for your title, you will need to contact the British Library in order to register your title. There is further information on getting a barcode from the distribution section of this guide.