Trademark Registration in Europe
What Is Trademark Registration?
Trademarks are symbols registered by businesses to identify and differentiate their products/services from the products/services belonging to the similar/different industry. To be precise, through the trademark registration process in Europe, you are protecting the investment made towards the brand or symbol.
Where To Register Trademarks?
There is a four-tier system for registering trademarks in Europe Union – The national route, regional route, European route, and international route. The system to be chosen depends on the business needs.
- National Route – If you wish to limit the trademark protection over your brand to one EU member state, you need to place a trademark application at the subsequent national IP office. This comes under national route.
- Regional Route – To get trademark protection in Belgium, the Netherlands and/or Luxembourg, you need to place an application at the Benelux Office of Intellectual Property (BOIP). BOIP is the only regional level IP office in European Union to extend trademark protection services in the European Union to extend trademark registration protection in the three member states. This comes under regional route.
- European Route – To gain protection from more member states, you need to go for EU trademark from EUIPO. This is European route.
- International Route – You can expand your trademark protection internationally with the support of national, regional or EU trademark application.
Trademark Registration In Europe
- File an error-free application with all mandatory information along with prescribed fees. The prescribed fees must be paid within 30 days after filling the application.
- A search will be performed on the previous right, search report will be prepared and thus will be sent to the applicant.
- Previous owners of the trademark will be intimated through a letter called surveillance letter.
- In the substantive examination page, the content will be analyzed for its distinctiveness. The application can get rejected in case of inaccurate information
- After sending the application, the trademark application will be published in 23 official languages
- Within 3 months after the advertisement, opponents can raise opposition with supporting evidence and documents
- Proceedings will be initiated. At the end which the trademark registration will be provided if the applicant succeeds in contradicting the claims made by the opponent.