Registered trademarks
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A trademark embodies the identity of a product or service. It may take various forms: any graphic representation which distinguishes a business's products or services from those of its competitors may constitute a trademark. A trademark may be:
- a wordmark – i.e., the name under which a product or service is marketed;
- a figurative mark, e.g. a logo, a figure, etc.;
- or a semi-figurative mark comprising both elements, e.g., words rendered using specific characters, or with a specific layout.
Registering a trademark as a complement to a patented product or a registered drawing could considerably increase the commercial value of a business's goodwill or visual identity once the patent, registered drawing or industrial model has expired. Unlike a trademark, whose registration can be renewed indefinitely, the monopoly on use of a patent is restricted to 20 years at most.
Luxembourg does not have a national trademark protection scheme. As such, all trademark filings will be registered in the 3 Benelux countries.
When a trademark is registered, the holder is afforded certain statutory rights. Subject to certain conditions, these rights can be asserted to prevent others from using the trademark without the owner's prior consent, and thereby prevent counterfeiting.
Who is concerned
Anyone can register a trademark, be they an individual, a self-employed worker, a business or any other legal entity.
The registered holder is the only person who can use the trademark.
Acceptable marks
Any sign that can be represented graphically can be registered as a trademark, as long as it can be:
- used to distinguish the goods or services of one enterprise from those of others;
- represented in the register in a manner which enables the competent authorities and the public to clearly and accurately determine what is being protected.
The trademark may consist of:
- a single character, letter, word or digit, or a combination thereof;
- words (including slogans);
- drawings;
- letters;
- digits;
- three-dimensional signs, such as the shape of a product or its packaging;
- musical or vocal sounds;
- scents;
- colours.
Ideas, concepts, sounds and smells may not be registered as trademarks, but trade names and advertising slogans may be.
Unacceptable marks
A mark cannot and will not be registered or will be declared null and void if it is:
- a sign that cannot be used as a trademark;
- devoid of any distinctive character;
- contrary to public order or to accepted principles of morality;
- of such a nature as to deceive the public (e.g., as to the nature, quality or geographical origin of a product or service);
- identical or similar to a previously registered trademark.
Prerequisites
Preliminary steps
Availability of a trademark
Before registering a trademark, it is advisable to perform a trademark availability search. Searches can be carried out online:
- in the Benelux Trademarks register, for Benelux-wide searches;
- at European level: in the EU trade marks database, for Europe-wide searches;
- at international level: in the Madrid Express or Romarin international trademark databases, for international searches.
Deadlines
The trademark registration process takes:
- approximately 4 months for Benelux registrations;
- approximately 9 to 10 months for European registrations;
- between 4 and 24 months, depending on the country, for international registrations.
The registration filing date is the most important factor. As soon as the trademark is registered, protection is retroactive to the filing date.
Period of validity
In general, a trademark is registered for a certain class of products or services, for a period of 10 years, renewable indefinitely for 10-year periods.
Priority right
Applicants who file a new trademark registration application for the Benelux countries are, as of the filing date, afforded a 6-month priority right to file a European Union trademark registration application for the same sign in other countries.
Obligations
To maintain their trademark and their exclusive right to use it, the holder must:
- use the trademark: if the trademark is not used for an uninterrupted period of 5 years, the rights attaching to it may be revoked;
- monitor the trademark;
- renew the trademark, if they wish to do so: the competent bodies – i.e., the BOIP or the EUIPO – will notify the trademark holder 6 months before the registration is due to expire.
Opposition
If a trademark holder feels that a recently filed trademark infringes their previously registered trademark, they can file a notice of opposition. The opposition must be based on an earlier trademark right afforded through a Benelux or EU trademark, or an international trademark with a Benelux extension.
The notice of opposition must be filed within 2 months – or 3 months for a European Union trademark – of publication of the disputed registration application.
The notice of opposition may be filed in writing through the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property website, or through the EUIPO.
The opposition will be considered filed once the opposition fee has been paid.
Costs
The standard price for registering:
- a Benelux trademark for 3 classes is EUR 240;
- a European Union trademark ranges from EUR 900 to EUR 1,050 for 3 classes.
For an international trademark, applicants will only be required to pay one set of fees in one currency – i.e., the Swiss Franc (CHF). A fee calculator and a schedule of fees are available to help users estimate the fees payable.
Payment must be made within one month of the filing date, failing which, the date of receipt of payment will be set as the filing date. This date is important, as it sets the order of precedence.
How to proceed
Registering a trademark
Benelux
In the Benelux countries, national trademark registrations are no longer possible; trademark protection covers all 3 countries.
Trademark registration applications may be filed:
- either electronically on the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property website;
- or by submitting a hard-copy Benelux trademark registration application form:
- to the Office for Intellectual Property at the Ministry of the Economy (ministère de l’Économie);
- to the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property.
The standard price for registering a Benelux trademark for 3 classes is EUR 240.
Payment must be made within one month of the filing date, failing which, the date of receipt of payment will be set as the filing date. This date is important, as it sets the order of precedence.
The trademark registration process takes about 4 months. Registration is valid for 10 years and may be renewed indefinitely for successive 10-year periods.
European Union
If their commercial activities cover Europe, interested parties can file their trademark registration applications:
- either electronically on the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) website;
- or by submitting an EU trademark registration application:
- directly to the EUIPO; or
- or to the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP); or
- to the Office for Intellectual Property at the Ministry of the Economy (ministère de l’Économie).
- directly to the EUIPO; or
EU trademarks are legally enforceable and afford uniform protection throughout the European Union.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Office for Intellectual Property - Ministry of the Economy
-
Ministry of the Economy Office for Intellectual Property - Ministry of the Economy
- Address:
-
19-21, boulevard Royal
L-2449
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
L-2914
- Phone:
- (+352) 247-84113
- Fax:
- (+352) 247-94113
- Email address:
- dpi@eco.etat.lu
Benelux Office for Intellectual Property
-
Benelux Office for Intellectual Property
- Address:
- 15, Bordewijklaan NL-2591 La Haye Netherlands
- Phone:
- +31 70 349 11 11
- Fax:
- +31 70 347 57 08
- Email address:
- info@boip.int
- Website:
- http://www.boip.int/
Closed ⋅ Opens at 10.00
- Wednesday:
- 10.00 to 12.00 , 14.00 to 16.00
- Thursday:
- 10.00 to 12.00 , 14.00 to 16.00
- Friday:
- 10.00 to 12.00 , 14.00 to 16.00
- Saturday:
- Closed
- Sunday:
- Closed
- Monday:
- 10.00 to 12.00 , 14.00 to 16.00
- Tuesday:
- 10.00 to 12.00 , 14.00 to 16.00
European Union Intellectual Property Office
-
European Union Intellectual Property Office
- Address:
- 4, avenida de Europa E-03008 Alicante Spain
- Phone:
- +34 965 13 91 00
- Fax:
- +34 965 13 13 44
- Email address:
- information@oami.europa.eu
World Intellectual Property Organization
-
World Intellectual Property Organization
- Address:
- 34, chemin des Colombettes CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
- Phone:
- (+41) 22 33 89 111
- Fax:
- (+41) 22 73 35 428
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- Address:
- Luxembourg
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Aronova S.A.
- Address:
-
12, avenue du Rock'n'Roll
L-4361
Esch-sur-Alzette
B.P. 327, L-4004 Esch-sur-Alzette
- Phone:
- (+352) 31 37 70
- Email address:
- office@aronovaip.com
- Website:
- http://www.aronovaip.com/index.html
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Corax IP s.à r.l
- Address:
- 2, rue Wilson L-2732 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 26 35 29 43
- Email address:
- jpw@corax.lu
- Website:
- http://corax.lu/
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Dennemeyer & Associates S.A.
- Address:
- 55, rue des Bruyères L-1274 Howald
- Phone:
- (+352) 49 98 411
- Email address:
- info@dennemeyer.com
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg IPSILON Luxembourg
- Address:
- 7, rue Robert Stümper L-2557 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 27 36 50 82
- Email address:
- luxembourg@ipsilon-ip.com
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Lavoix SARL
- Address:
- 43, Avenue J.F. Kennedy L-1855 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 26 00 57 20
- Email address:
- luxembourg@lavoix.eu
- Website:
- https://www.lavoix.eu/en
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Lecomte & Partners Sàrl
- Address:
- 76-78 rue de Merl L-2146 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 24 83 94 1
- Email address:
- info@ip-lecomte.com
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Marks & Clerk
- Address:
-
44, rue de la Vallée
L-2661
Luxembourg
B.P. 1775, L-1017 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 40 02 70
- Email address:
- luxembourg@marks-clerk.com
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Office Ernest T. Freylinger S.A.
- Address:
- 234, route d'Arlon L-8010 Strassen
- Phone:
- (+352) 31 38 30 1
- Email address:
- office@freylinger.com
- Website:
- http://freylinger.com/
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Patent 42
- Address:
- 42, rue du Fossé L-4123 Esch-sur-Alzette
- Phone:
- (+352) 691 99 93 50
- Email address:
- info@patent42.com
- Website:
- http://patent42.com/
-
Patent offices established in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Laidebeur & Partners
- Address:
- 4, rue d'Arlon L-8399 Windhof
- Phone:
- (+352) 20 20 21 98
- Email address:
- info@laidebeur.com
- Website:
- https://www.laidebeur.com/
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Related procedures and links
Links
Further information
- Trademark protection on the website of the Luxembourg Portal for Innovation and Research
- Innovaccess, website of the Network of National Patent and Trade Offices of the European Union
- Benelux trademarks on the website of the Benelux Office of Intellectual Property
- Trademarks on the website of the Office for Harmonization in the Intenal Market (OHMI)
- Application for International Registration of a Mark on the website of the World Intellectual Property Organization
Legal references
-
Règlement (UE) 2017/1001 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 14 juin 2017
sur la marque de l'Union européenne
-
Règlement délégué (UE) 2018/625 de la Commission du 5 mars 2018
complétant le règlement (UE) 2017/1001 du Parlement européen et du Conseil sur la marque de l'Union européenne, et abrogeant le règlement délégué (UE) 2017/1430