Too Descriptive to Register? The AI Sales Trademark Story
“Love your business, but protect it like an outsider would.”
I Googled it. I questioned it. I sat down with two friends who are IP barristers. I used AI tools to explore the question. The concern kept coming back: AI SALES might be too descriptive to register as a trade mark.
When the name represents the business you are building, that is not exactly what you want to hear.
Did I give up? No.
I investigated my options, worked through the examination process and kept going. On 9 October 2026, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) issued the registration certificate for AI SALES®, trade mark number UK00004391667, covering Classes 35 and 42.
For me, this was more than a certificate. It was a reminder that building a business takes conviction, patience and a willingness to work through difficult questions rather than walk away when the first answers aren’t the ones you want to hear.
The challenge with the name AI Sales Trademark
When you build a business, the name becomes part of its identity. It appears on your website, your proposals, your marketing and the products you develop. Over time, it starts to represent the work, the ambition and the people behind it.
But there is a difference between choosing a name you believe in and choosing a name that can be protected as a trade mark.
“AI SALES” describes a combination of artificial intelligence and sales. That raised an obvious question: would the IPO consider the name too descriptive of the services being offered?
I did not take the question lightly. Nor did I simply assume that because I liked the name, it would qualify for registration.
The challenge was to understand the concerns, assess the available options and determine whether I could secure protection for the brand while accurately defining the services it covered.
Changing the name was one possible direction. But before considering that, I wanted to understand the examination process properly and see whether there was a way forward.
Working through the IPO examination
In June 2026, the IPO raised concerns about aspects of the services included in the application. The specification needed careful attention, particularly where certain terms appeared to belong in other trade mark classes.
Rather than treating the correspondence as the end of the road, I worked through the issues and refined the application.
To address the examiner’s concerns, I narrowed the Class 35 specification, removing terms that strayed into other classes, and moved fourteen technology-related terms into a new Class 42 filing with more generic, brand-neutral wording. The IPO accepted the amended application on 28 July 2026. It was then published in the Trade Marks Journal for a two-month opposition period, and with no opposition, it proceeded to registration.
On 9 October 2026, the registration certificate was issued. The certificate records the registration as effective from 22 May 2026.
The final registration covers two classes, with each serving a different purpose.
Class 35 — business and commercial services: business consultancy relating to sales automation, marketing, lead generation, business intelligence and related commercial services.
Class 42 — technology services: technology consultancy and implementation relating to AI integration, CRM platforms, messaging APIs, chatbot systems and sales automation technology.
These are summaries intended to explain the broad areas covered, not replace the precise wording recorded on the register. The full specification is available on the IPO register.
What other founders can learn from the AI Sales Trademark
I am sharing the experience because many founders concentrate on building the product, winning customers and generating revenue. Protecting the brand can easily become something to think about later.
Yet your name and intellectual property can become important business assets. It is worth considering their protection early, before you invest heavily in marketing, products and customer recognition.
Here are five lessons I took from the process:
Research the name before committing to it. Consider how customers will understand it and whether it may be descriptive of the products or services you provide.
Think about the services, not just the name. Trade mark protection depends on the specification and the relevant classes, so be clear about what your business actually does and intends to offer.
Take objections seriously. An examiner’s concerns deserve a considered response. Understand the issue before deciding whether to amend, narrow or pursue an application.
Use AI tools as a starting point, not a substitute for professional advice. They can help you explore questions and understand terminology, but they cannot guarantee a successful application or replace qualified legal advice where needed.
Treat intellectual property as part of building the business. Your brand, software, processes and other assets deserve consideration alongside your sales and financial plans.
Every business journey is different, and registration is never guaranteed. My experience is not a promise that another descriptive name will be accepted. It is a reminder to understand the challenge and make informed decisions before giving up.
A previous chapter helped fund the next
Before AI Sales Ltd, there was Business Finance Advice Ltd.
That chapter of my working life helped provide the commercial foundations and resources to invest in AI SALES. My background in finance and business has shaped the way I look at technology: not simply as something impressive to demonstrate, but as something that should deliver a meaningful commercial outcome.
That thinking remains central to AI Sales Trademark.
Businesses do not just need more automation. They need to understand whether their investment is working, where enquiries are coming from, which conversations become customers and how those outcomes should influence their next decisions.
The objective is to connect buyer intent with measurable commercial results.
What we’re building next
AI SALES® is being built around a simple idea: businesses should know more than how many enquiries their marketing generates. They should understand which conversations turn into customers, which activities generate sales invoices, and where the next pound of investment is most likely to deliver a return.
That means bringing AI, business messaging, CRM systems and revenue intelligence together in a way that makes commercial sense. There is more in the pipeline, and I’m looking forward to sharing it when the time is right.
Knowing when to keep going
Sometimes the right decision is to change direction. Sometimes it is to keep going. The difference is understanding the challenge, taking the right advice and making an informed decision rather than an emotional one.
Registering AI SALES® has been a milestone, but it is one part of a bigger ambition.
Building something of your own?
If you’re building a business, developing a brand or investing in your next chapter, don’t leave protecting your intellectual property until later. Think about your name, your services and the assets you’re creating while there is still time to make informed decisions.
AI SALES® is focused on helping businesses turn buyer intent into measurable commercial results.
Find out more at aisales.ltd.
Indy Randhawa Founder & CEO · AI Sales Ltd
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