Trademark applications
With the trademark application, the sole or joint use of the respective trademark, such as word, figurative and sound marks, is notified to the competent authority. Ultimately, the applicant seeks registration and thus protection of the trademark. Depending on the respective brand, different attachments must be submitted to the competent authority. However, a list of goods and services must be drawn up in order to register all the different types of trademark.
National trademark application
The national trademark application is filed at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) in Munich or at the branch office in Jena. Registration can be done either electronically or by using the appropriate forms.
European trademark application
The European trademark application is filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain. The procedure before the EUIPO is comparable to the national procedure before the German Patent and Trademark Office.
International trademark registration
The international registration of a trademark is carried out via the “World Intellectual Property Organization” (WIPO for short) or also known as the “Organization Mondiale pour la Propriété Intellectuelle” (OMPI for short), which is based in Geneva, Switzerland. An international trademark application can be made either by filing an application for international registration with the national trademark office, which in the case of Germany is the German Patent and Trademark Office, in which case the English-language forms of the WIPO must be used. The second option is to apply directly to WIPO for registration of an international trademark using the appropriate forms in English.
