What is a trademark?

There are different categories of trademarks such as trademarks for goods and/or services, collective and certification marks, three-dimensional marks. Since protection for trademarks is territorial, it is strongly advisable to protect a sign by filing trademarks for it in those countries of specific interest to you or your company.

Our team of trademark attorneys is on hand to help you assess the best trademark protection strategy for you in Italy, Europe and further afield, seeking the most cost-effective solution that also provides you with the strongest protection.
Our services range from trademark availability searches, filing and registration, to trademark protection and defence in all its declinations and uses, including on the internet and social networks, as well as the preparation of license agreements and assignments.

We can also provide economic evaluations of specific trademarks and, more in general, of your industrial property portfolio with a view to obtaining financial and/or tax benefits.

Italian trademark

An Italian trademark registration provides protection throughout Italy and San Marino by virtue of the existing agreement therewith and according to some doctrines can be recognized by the Vatican City.

The duration of an Italian trademark registration is 10 years from its filing date and renewal may be requested indefinitely for subsequent ten-year periods.

Pre-use (i.e. use prior to filing) is recognized and protected under certain conditions.

European union trademark

This is a centralized procedure wherein a single application submitted to the EUIPO - the European Union Intellectual Property Office - covers all EU member countries.

The main benefits of the European Union Trademark consist in the single procedure and the advantageous filing costs.

The duration of a European Union registration is 10 years from its filing date and renewal may be requested indefinitely for subsequent ten-year periods.

International trademark

On the basis of a trademark application or registration in your territory of origin, you may file an International registration by designating one or more countries that are party to two Treaties: the Madrid Agreement and Protocol.

The International procedure offers the possibility of filing a single application, designating one or more countries, with the WIPO - the World Intellectual Property Organization. In each country, the trademark application will be examined by the respective national Trademark Office and, at the end of the examination, the trademark will be granted or refused.

The protection afforded by an International trademark registration is equivalent to a national application in each of the states designated thereby. In those states, the validity of the trademark is dependent on compliance with each specific national law.

The duration of an International trademark registration is 10 years from its registration date (usually the same as the filing date) and renewal may be requested indefinitely for subsequent ten-year periods.