Trademark registration and maintenance are crucial for
brand protection in Europe, as elsewhere in the world. Through EU
trademark registration, you can access the legal systems and tools
you need to prevent others from abusing your trademark rights and
causing financial and reputational damage to your
business.
Given the importance of trademark registration in the European
Union (EU), it is useful to be aware of the following fundamental
steps:
1) Choose the market you want to enter
If you want to acquire protection in just one EU member state,
for example, because it is where your business is based and where
all your trading activity will take place, you can opt for national
registration only. In France, for example, this means submitting an
application to the National Industrial Property Institute (Institut
National de la Propriété Industrielle, or INPI).
