Application routes
What are my application options?
Many companies start by filing a national trademark application,
but you also have the option of filing a trademark application with
the European office for trademarks and designs (OHIM), with WIPO,
which is the international office for trademark registrations, as
well as with the individual national trademark offices throughout
the world.
The Trademark Cost Benefit Guide is based on five application
routes. The five routes are drawn up on the basis of the options
that Danish companies primarily use when they want to register
their trademarks.
Application process 1: National application (DK
application here)
If you want to get a trademark registration in your
national country, you can file a national trade mark application.
Then, from the date you filed the national application, you have
six months to file trademark applications in the other countries,
if you want to use the priority of the national application.
Priority means that your extended application will achieve
protection from the date it was filed as a national
application.
Application process 2: National application (DK application
here)=> community application
If you want to test your trademark in your national market
before you decide which EU countries you want a trademark
registration in, you can start by filing a national trademark
application. You then have six months from the filing date in which
to decide whether you want a community registration, if you want to
use the priority of the national application. Priority means that
your extended application will achieve protection from the date it
was filed as a national application.
Application process 3: National application (DK application
here)=> MP application
If you want to get a trademark registration in many
countries, both within and outside Europe, you can start by filing
a national trademark application and then extend it as an MP
application via the Madrid Protocol with WIPO (World Intellectual
Property Organization). With this application, you can seek
protection in up to 85 WIPO countries throughout the world.
Application process 4: Community application
If you want to get a trademark registration in a number of
European countries, you have the option of filing a community
application directly to the EU authority for trademarks and
designs, OHIM (Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market). A
community application applies to all EU countries.
Application process 5: Community application = > MP
application
If you want to get your trademark registration in many
European countries, you have the option of filing a community
application directly with the EU authority for trademarks and
designs, OHIM (Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market).
When you have received this basic application, you can extend it as
an MP application via the Madrid Protocol at WIPO (World
Intellectual Property Organization). With this application, you can
seek protection in up to 85 WIPO countries throughout the
world.
Definitions
MP application = Madrid Protocol application
OHIM (Office for Harmonization in the Internal
Market)
OHIM is the European office for trademarks and designs, where it is
possible to register your trademark in a number of countries all
over the world on the basis of only one application. You can choose
to file directly with OHIM, or you can choose to submit your
application with the appropriate national authority. You can read
more about protection of trademarks in the EU
here.
WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
WIPO is the international office for trademarks and designs, where
it is possible to register your trademark in a number of countries
all over the world on the basis of only one application. This is
done through the Madrid Protocol system under WIPO. You can only
apply for an international registration if you already have a
national trademark application or registration, or a trademark
registration in the EU. You can see a list of the member countries
of the Madrid Protocol system
here.