What is a European Union trademark?
The European Union trademark (EUTM) is a trademark that creates trademark protection in all member states of the European Union. The rights provided by the trademark protection are therefore the same as the rights provided by a national trademark, but the territorial scope of the legal protection is much broader.
How can I obtain a European Union trademark?
Our European Union trademark application must be submitted electronically to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). During the submission, the trademark holder (or holders) must be designated, as well as what type of trademark we want to file. We must also record the representation of the trademark, and specify the classes of goods and services for which we wish to make the application. Following this, the application fee must be paid, after which the office publishes the application. If the publication period passes successfully (e.g., without opposition), the trademark will be registered.
What costs are associated with a European Union trademark?
The basic fee for filing an EUTM is 850 EUR, which includes one class of goods/services. For the second class, we must account for an additional 50 EUR, while for additional classes, we must calculate a further 150 EUR per class. Given that we can significantly increase the fee for our application with each additional class, it is worth carefully defining the scope of our application in advance.
Why is it worth choosing a European Union trademark?
If we provide our goods or services in several member states of the European Union, it is more cost-effective and simpler to register a European Union trademark than to initiate national filings individually in multiple member states. From a strategic point of view, it is also worth choosing the EUTM from the beginning if there is a chance that our company will expand into multiple member states in the future. This avoids the unfortunate situation where, during the extension of a national application, we are confronted with the fact that the same or a similar trademark has already been registered in another member state. In such cases, we would no longer be able to market our goods or services in that member state under the name or distinctive sign protected by our national trademark.
If you need assistance with the registration of European Union trademarks, please contact our office with confidence!
