A single registration filed online in one language is valid in all EU member states.
The EU trademark gives its owner an exclusive right in all current and future EU member states at a reasonable cost.
You can promote your brand in a market with nearly 500 million customers.
The EU trademark is valid for 10 years. It can be renewed indefinitely, 10 years at a time for each renewal.
Types of trademarks that can be registered
You can register 3 types of trademarks: individual, collective and certification mark.
Individual
This trademark distinguishes the goods and services of one company or person from the goods and services of another.
However, this does not mean that one trademark should belong to one company or an individual: an individual trademark can belong to one or more legal or natural persons. This means that there are several applicants.
The basic registration fee for a single trademark starts at €850.
Collective
This trademark distinguishes the goods and services of a group of companies or members of an association from those of competitors. Collective marks can be used to enhance consumer confidence in goods or services offered under the collective mark. Quite often these are used to identify products that have a specific characteristic.
Only associations of manufacturers, service providers or traders, as well as legal entities governed by public law, can apply for collective marks.
The fee for filing an application for a collective mark is €1500.
Certification
This trademark was presented at EUIPO on October 1, 2017. This is a new type of trademark at the EU level, although it has existed at the national level for many years. This type of trademark is used to indicate that goods or services meet the certification requirements of a certifying institution or organization, it is a sign of quality.
Any natural or legal person, including institutions and bodies governed by public law, may apply for EU certification marks, provided that such person does not conduct business related to the supply of goods or services of a certified type.
The registration fee for the certification mark is €1500.
Selecting a brand class
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has adopted the Nice Classification for the classification of goods and services. In the Nice classification goods and services are divided into 45 classes.
A registration fee of €850 allows one to choose one class. For an additional cost of €50 you can add a second class, and for three or more classes you will need to pay €150 for each one.
When you apply for trademark registration using any of the EUIPO online application forms (the five-step form or the advanced form) you will be able to search and browse a list of goods and services known as the Harmonized Database. This database contains all the conditions that have already been accepted by EUIPO and all national intellectual property offices in the European Union and beyond.
The selection of your products and services from the Harmonized Database allows EUIPO to simplify the processing of your application. Your application can also be accepted for Fast Track. This is an expedited EUIPO procedure to get your application published faster.
You can also use EUIPO Product & Service Builder to create the list before submitting your application. This is recommended for professional practitioners as it is sometimes necessary to submit multiple applications at once.
