How do you trade mark a name of a business?

Can i trade mark another companies name?

• I was browsing trademarks on www.ipo.gov.uk website and decided to search wether some businesses in my local area have trademarks for te names...and i noticed one business(a fast food takeaway with over 8 branches) which had a trademark on its name and logo previously...but recently the owners revamped the business image and changed the name and logo and have not bothered to trade mark the new name. I was wondering if i was to trademark the name...does that particular business have the right to take the ownership away from me? could they take legal action against me? or can i ask them to change their name? ...even though i am not a running business? nor have a simmilar business to theirs.

• Answer:

  I am fascinated by how your mind works. You think somebody has not gotten around to trademarking their 8 branch's (well, you don't know what they did two weeks ago, it hasn't been published yet) - so you are willing to have a law suit thrown at you - just for the fun of it, maybe they'll offer you money for their own trademark, cause they were too lazy to get it? Unless you like lawsuits and paying solicitors to defend you - I wouldn't try this form of extortion.