Trademarks: What Is The Opposition Process?

In practice the registration of the European Union Trademark (EUTM) is very popular among owners of trademarks. The distinctive feature is that a registered trademark is subject to protection in all countries of the EU without exception (EU trademark registration countries). This fact represents a sufficient advantage for business entities and entrepreneurs who plan to do business within EU in general. The registration shall be carried out by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which is the European authority for trademark and design protection (its former name – the Office for Harmonization of the Internal Market (OHIM)).

We have already written about registration of trademarks, which is obviously the first step on the way to protect and use them effectively. However, within the process of registration there is a risk of being involved in the process of EUIPO opposition committed by third parties alleging they possess earlier rights to the