Why register your trademark in the EU?
Trademark Specialist Maite says:
“Registering your trademark in the EU gives you a very broad and high level of protection in all member countries at the same time!”
The reason you should apply for an EU trademark is that it is a very cost-effective way of obtaining a very broad and high level of trademark protection. With such a trademark you get trademark protection in the EU’s 28 member states. Getting an EU registered trademark takes between three and six months.
EU trademark
When you apply for an trademark within the EU, it normally takes six to twelve months for the EU trademark to be approved, provided that there are no obstacles to approval being granted. Obstacles may include earlier trademark registrations that are confusingly similar, or your European trademark application might not meet the formal requirements. It is therefore good to carry out a preliminary investigation before you file your European trademark application. With a preliminary investigation you are able to find out if there are any obstacles to your application and how you can get around them.
Registration process
A trademark application for an EU trademark is reviewed by the European trademark authority EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office), located in Alicante, Spain. The authority has five working languages: Spanish, German, French, Italian and English. However, you can always file a European trademark application in any of the EU’s official languages.
Notices and opposition
If your European trademark application contains shortcomings, then you will receive a notice with a final response deadline. If you are able to address the shortcomings before the deadline, then your trademark application will be approved and published in the Community Trade Marks Bulletin. A so-called opposition period runs for three months starting from the date of publication. This means that anyone who believes that they have earlier rights, which are similar to your application, can try to prevent the registration of your European Union trade mark. If there is no opposition during this period, your EU trademark will be registered.
Do you need help registering your EU trademark?
We can help you register your EU trademark. Consult us on how to register your EU trademark. Feel free to read our References to see what our customers say about us.
