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Trademarks identify products and services of an enterprise. They stand for the
quality of an enterprise and are part of the company's intellectual property, just like patents. A strong trade mark is a valuable asset.
Trademarks identify the goods and services of particular traders. Signs that
are suitable for distinguishing products or services of a particular enterprise from that of other companies are eligible for trademark protection. These signs may consist of words, letters, numbers,
pictures, or even colours or sounds.
Trademark protection in Germany arises from the entry in the register of the
German Patent and Trademark Office and is subject to a prior application. Trademark protection may also arise from due to intensive use of a sign in the in course of trade or from the fact that a
sign is well-known.
Registration of a trademark confers to its owner the exclusive right to use the
trademark in relation to the protected goods and/or services. Trademark owners can sell and assign their trademarks anytime. The owner of a trademark can grant others a right of use of the trademark
(trademark licence).
For certain agricultural products and food can be registered protected origin
or geographic specifications.
A trademark can be renewed unlimited. Every 10 years the renewal fee have to be paid.
An EU far and International Registration are possible.
To characterize goods and services may be applied for as a
- German trademark
- trademark of the community (EU far)
and/or
- IR-trademark (international)
at the
- German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) or
- European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Alicante, Spain.
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