EU trademark registration: €1,050 and 8 months

Europe's express trademark registration: €1,050 and plenty of patience

An entrepreneur has just paid €1,050 to register a trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The route chosen was Fast Track, the procedure that claims to deliver results in four months. Those who have been through it offer a caveat: third-party objections and the tangle of similar registrations can stretch the process to eight months.

What it costs to do it yourself and what law firms charge

The price contrast is almost ironic. A national trademark, handled on your own, comes in under €150; renewing it cost around €120 in 2024. The European version multiplies the bill and practically forces you to use an agency: in this case, a specialised law firm took over after third-party objections made going it alone inadvisable.

The €700 grant that never reaches the smallest businesses

The EUIPO itself offers a €700 reimbursement for SMEs, on one condition: you must apply before registering the trademark. The problem is that many seed-stage entrepreneurs have not yet incorporated a company and cannot qualify. Others prefer to launch the business and see whether it works before setting up a limited company. In other words: the incentive exists, but it arrives too late.

The result is a system where you pay for the express label and receive a service with standard turnaround times. Some argue the fee simply greases the administrative machinery. What is clear is that it penalises precisely those who are not yet generating revenue. The trademark, meanwhile, moves at the pace of the notifications.