European Union Trademark Registration
If you are planning protection in more than one European Union country, an EUIPO filing deserves a close look. Let us compare the EU trade mark against national filings in light of your target markets, the scope of your brand and any earlier rights.
27 countries, one application · from 1.700 €1 class · service fee + estimated EUIPO fee · see the details ↓A free attorney check and filing for your brand
Share your mark and target goods or services, and we will check the risk of an obstacle before the EUIPO and the right class plan free of charge. You decide whether to proceed to filing once you have seen the result.
Application details
Step 1 / 2Two short steps. We do not ask for a passport or identity document at this stage.
Which countries does an EU trade mark cover?
A European Union trade mark arises as a single right that takes effect in every member state at once. That does not mean it covers every country located in Europe — coverage follows membership.
A single national filing, or an EU trade mark?
The decision turns on how wide your target market is, your budget and your risk tolerance. Pick the scenario closest to your situation.
EU trade mark
If you are planning activity in more than one EU country, a single application covering all 27 member states is usually the most efficient route. It means one file, one renewal schedule and one record to manage. In return the principle of unity applies: an earlier right in a single member state can create a problem for the whole application.
National filing
If your sales or services are concentrated in a single member state — Germany only, for instance — filing with that country’s national office is more targeted and usually cheaper. A national right is not affected by an earlier right in another member state. If you later expand, separate filings or an EU trade mark come back into play.
Mixed strategy
On many files an EU trade mark is planned alongside national filings for critical markets outside the Union. Taking an EU trade mark and filing separately in the United Kingdom and Switzerland is a common structure. Where the unity risk looks high, several national filings may be preferred over a single EU application.
How earlier national rights affect an EU application
The principle of unity is the EU trade mark’s defining structural feature. Understanding it before you file prevents most of the losses that surface later.
The EUIPO process for applicants outside the EU
Being based outside the EU is no obstacle to filing; the representation rules, however, differ according to the type of proceeding.
Eligibility to file
Individuals and companies based outside the EU can file an EU trade mark application before EUIPO. There is no requirement to form a company in the EU to do so.
Representation rules
For applicants domiciled outside the European Economic Area, a qualified representative is required in certain proceedings. There is no single rule covering every stage; we clarify the representation your file needs against the current office guidance.
Language of proceedings
One of EUIPO’s working languages is selected at filing and the proceeding runs in that language. The choice also affects the language of any later opposition.
What MarcaWorld does
We handle file preparation, searching, the class plan and the follow-up, and coordinate with qualified representation where required. We do not claim to run our own office in every country.
Class count and EUIPO filing fees
In the table below, official fees and service fees sit on separate lines. We do not put numbers on unverified items; where an amount is confirmed, we state the source and the date it was checked.
The EU, a national filing, the Madrid route and the UK
Protection in Europe does not come from a single route. Coverage, cost structure and how risk is distributed differ markedly. Click a column heading to open that page.
Documents and information
An EU filing calls for a limited set of information; the real work sits in the search and in drafting the list.
Examination, publication and opposition
In the EU system, opposition happens during the publication period before registration. That differs from countries such as Germany, where opposition follows registration.
- 1Assessment and scope planTarget markets, mark type and goods/services are reviewed, and the EU route is compared against national options.
- 2SearchingNational registers of member states are assessed alongside the EU register. Because of the principle of unity, an earlier right in a single country can be decisive.
- 3Filing the applicationThe file is submitted electronically to EUIPO and an application number is issued. An application number is not a registration certificate.
- 4Formal and absolute-grounds examinationThe office examines formal requirements and absolute grounds such as distinctiveness and descriptiveness. EUIPO does not raise earlier rights as a ground for refusal of its own motion.
- 5Publication and opposition periodThe application is published and holders of earlier rights may oppose within the period set by law. An opposition moves the file into separate adversarial proceedings.
- 6RegistrationIf no opposition is filed, or an opposition is decided in the applicant’s favour, the mark is registered and protection runs for a ten-year period.
Use, watching and renewal
An EU trade mark is a right that still needs managing after registration. The items below are where most losses originate.
Obligation to use
The mark must be put to genuine use in the EU for the goods and services it covers. A mark not used becomes open to revocation actions after the fifth year.
Watching
Monitoring similar applications is a separate service. Once the opposition window closes, the options for intervening narrow considerably.
Renewal
Protection is renewed in ten-year periods. The renewal fee depends on the class count, and the right lapses if renewal is not filed in time.
Record updates
Changes of name, address or ownership must be recorded. An out-of-date record causes problems with service of documents and with assignments.