Big ideas.
Protected.

A trademark is a sign that helps customers recognise your goods or services and tell them apart from someone else’s. Think of your brand name or logo. Registration gives you rights over that sign for the goods or services and territories covered.

A word trademark protects words, letters or numbers in standard characters, without claiming a particular font or graphic design. If your brand’s name is the important part, this may be the right starting point.

A figurative trademark protects a visual sign: a logo, a stylised word, or a combination of words and graphics. The design you submit matters. We can help you decide whether to file your name, your logo, or both separately.

An earlier, similar trademark can create a problem even if it is not identical to yours. We search the relevant registers and prepare a report on potential conflicts and registrability. This helps you make an informed decision before committing to an application. No search can guarantee that nobody will object.

Classes organise goods and services into categories. Clothing, software and restaurant services, for example, can fall into different classes. Your application needs a carefully drafted list of what your brand will cover, based on what your business actually does and plans to do.

An EU trademark registered through EUIPO covers all 27 European Union member states, including Malta, France and Italy. It does not cover every European country. Switzerland and the United Kingdom, for example, need separate protection.

We help you seek protection in the countries that matter to your business, including Switzerland and the United States. There is no single registration that automatically protects a brand everywhere. Depending on your needs, we can coordinate national applications or an international application through the Madrid System, with local specialists where needed.

The relevant office examines your application. Depending on the jurisdiction, it is also published so that holders of earlier rights can oppose it. We guide you through the process and advise on any issues. Filing is the start of the process; it does not guarantee registration.

An EU trademark is registered for 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed for further 10-year periods. Rules on renewal, use and maintaining rights vary internationally. We can explain the requirements for your chosen territories.

Your proposed name or logo, the products or services you offer, the countries you want to cover, and the details of the proposed owner. We’ll discuss the scope and costs with you before proceeding.