We specialize in providing the following services: trademark searches; filing, prosecution and opposition of national trademarks in Italy and San Marino; filing, prosecution and opposition of European trademarks.
Italian national trademark
A trademark application is subject to a formal examination, which takes place when the Trademark Office receives the application. After passing the formal examination, the application is published in the Trademark Bulletin. Third parties may file oppositions against the registration, within the time limit of 3 months from the date of publication. In case that no oppositions are filed, usually the application proceeds smoothly to the registration. The Certificate of trademark registration is usually issued approximately 6 months after the filing date.
In order to file an application for the registration of a trademark, we need: a Power of Attorney signed by the applicant (no notarization/legalization is required); electronic copy of trademark sample (in .jpg format); instructional letter, specifying the applicant’s full name and address, and the classes and products/services to be protected by the trademark; a certified copy of the priority document, if a foreign priority is claimed.
NOTE: A scanned copy of the Power of Attorney and of the priority document is acceptable for filing. However, the original documents must be submitted to our office to be kept in our files. If the Power of Attorney or the priority documents are not available at the time of filing, it is possible to file them later (within 60 days of the filing date of the application), upon the payment of a surcharge.
Italian trademark can be renewed every 10 years, starting from the first filing date. After the deadline for the renewal, there is a grace period of 6 months, during which the trademark can still be renewed, upon the payment of a surcharge. A trademark renewal is treated as a new registration. Therefore, it is subject to a formal examination, which takes place when the Trademark Office receives the application. A new Certificate of trademark registration, with a new registration number, is usually issued 6 months after the filing date.
European trademark
European trademark registrations (previously known as Community trademarks) protect trademarks on the whole territory of the European Union, which currently comprises 28 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom). This implies that the validity requirements of the trademark must be fulfilled at the same time on all countries of the Union.
After the reductions of the filing and renewal fees, which took place in 2009 and 2016, filing a European trademark has become very favourable for international applicants interested in protecting their trademark in more than one European country.
In 2016, the Office in charge of granting European trademarks changed its name from OHIM to EUIPO.
After filing the application, a European trademark is subject to a formal examination, and then published. Third parties may file oppositions against the registration, within the time limit of 3 months from the date of publication. In case that no oppositions are filed, usually the application proceeds smoothly to the registration. European trademarks can be renewed every 10 years, starting from the first filing date.
In order to file an application for the registration of a European Community trademark, we need: electronic copy of trademark sample (in .jpg format); instructional letter, specifying the applicant’s full name and address, and the classes and products to be protected by the trademark; a certified copy of the priority document, if a foreign priority is claimed.
