The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) was born on 1 April 1996 and began receiving applications for what was called the Community Trade Mark.
Today, 30 years later, its successor, the European Union Trade Mark (EUTM) system has become one of the most widely used IP systems in the world.
To celebrate this momentous anniversary, the EUIPO released some statistics recently on its growth trajectory, as shown in the chart below.
The popularity of the EUTM system is evidenced by application numbers recently shared by the EUIPO. Among EU Member States, the highest numbers are from Germany (490,002), Italy (251,814), Spain (225,097), France (189,852) and the Netherlands (108,925). It is also widely used by international applicants - the United States (427,000) and China (239,000) have the highest filings.
The system has grown from around 43,000 applications in its first year (1996) to consistently receiving over 170,000–200,000 applications annually, demonstrating continued confidence from applicants globally. These sustained growth figures in filings signifies that businesses, innovators, and creators worldwide are prepared to invest in protection through the European Union’s IP system.
The EUTM can pride itself on being the world’s largest single, unitary registration which covers 27 jurisdictions (the 27 EU Member States). It provides the most cost-effective and streamlined mechanism for building a unified brand identity across the EU’s single market.
It is estimated that a single European Union Trade Mark (EUTM) registration covering all 27 EU jurisdictions costs less than obtaining separate national registrations in just two countries!
A table of comparison below sets out features of the various TM registration systems in Europe which are available to brand owners.
| TM SYSTEMS |
NATIONAL TRADE MARKS |
MADRID SYSTEM |
EUTM |
| COST COMPARISON
|
Separate fees for each country |
Fees increase depending on the no of countries designated |
One fee for the entire EU
|
| SCOPE OF PROTECTION
|
One country only
|
Multiple countries (including non-EU) |
All EU Member States (27) in a single registration |
| ENFORCEABILITY
|
Enforcement limited to one country
|
Protected only in the jurisdictions designated
|
Unified rights across EU
|
| MANAGEMENT
|
National IPO
|
Administered by WIPO
|
Administered by the EUIPO |
This provides a useful illustration of the benefits of securing an EUTM over the other existing systems when seeking Trade Mark protection in the EU. The system works best for businesses operating or planning to operate in multiple EU countries, offering a "one-stop-shop" with simpler administration. The nature of this protection makes the EUTM ideal for industries such as fashion, tech, pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors needing to secure brand identity across European markets.
Feliz Cumpleaños EUIPO! Wishing you continued success and prosperity in the years to come.
Sumi Nadarajah
Partner, FRKelly
