Global Trademark Registration
Registering a brand abroad is less about where you file and more about which basis you file on and whether you can keep the right afterwards. Use requirements, class practice, opposition windows and maintenance duties differ sharply by country; pick the wrong route and you pay twice, and a registration that cannot be enforced is worth little.
Three routes, and the choice matters before filing
A national application goes directly to one office. Rights are independent, progress is controllable, and a problem stays inside that single market. It suits your main markets or any market where a conflict has already been found.
A Madrid application designates several countries from one filing based on your home application or registration. Fees and renewals are administered centrally, but the international registration remains dependent on the basic mark for five years, and refusals in designated countries still have to be answered locally.
A regional filing such as an EU trade mark covers all member states in one right. Administration is cheap, but a conflict in any single member state can defeat the whole application; conversion into national filings preserves the date but restarts each country procedure.
| Route | Coverage | Typical timeline | Main risk | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-country filing | That country only | 4-12 months | Risk contained to one market | Core markets, or where a conflict exists |
| Madrid designation | Designated countries | 12-18 months | Dependent on the China basic mark for five years | Multi-country portfolios, centralised management |
| EU trade mark | 27 member states | 4-6 months | One member-state opposition can reach the whole right | Selling across Europe |
Official fees follow the current schedule of the USPTO, EUIPO and other offices; our service fee is quoted by class and case complexity.
Two checks to finish before you file
First, a conflict search. You are assessing likelihood of confusion, not identity: sound, appearance, meaning and transliteration all count. Look beyond registers to marketplace brand libraries and unregistered but earlier-used brands, because in some countries - the United States above all - rights can arise from use alone.
Second, a use check. The US requires evidence of genuine use in commerce; the EU and UK expect real use to be maintainable; Canada and Singapore have tightened scrutiny of applications filed without intent to use. Align launch timing with filing timing rather than sacrificing evidence quality.
- Define core classes and describe what you actually sell.
- File word marks and device elements separately so one refusal does not drag the other.
- Archive first-listing captures, packaging and sales records with dates from day one.
Dates that quietly kill registrations
Most countries run on a ten-year term, with renewal windows six months either side of expiry. Thailand also runs ten years - section 53 refers to the registration date, but section 42 deems the application date to be the registration date - and Mexico requires a declaration of actual use within three months after the third anniversary of the grant and again at renewal.
In the United States you must file a Section 8 declaration of use between the fifth and sixth years, and renew between the ninth and tenth. In the EU, UK and most other markets, five years of genuine non-use exposes the registration to cancellation by anyone.
On marketplaces, keep the recorded owner, the selling entity and the enrolment details aligned. Owner or address changes that are never recorded are a common reason a valid registration stops working when you need it.
How we work
Choose countries from the actual sales plan
Registers plus marketplace brand libraries
National, Madrid or regional
Submitted within 48 hours once documents are confirmed
Refusals, oppositions and formalities
Declarations, renewals and evidence
What you need to prepare
- Applicant identity documents (company licence or personal ID)
- Reproduction of the mark and how the wording is used
- Goods and services list describing what you actually sell
- Evidence of use in the target market, if any
- For Madrid: the basic application or registration number and designated countries
Frequently asked questions
Does a Chinese registration protect me abroad?
No. Trademark rights are national. Most conflicts we see started because the product sold first and the mark was filed later, by which time someone else already had an earlier application locally - leaving opposition or invalidation as the only route, both far costlier than filing early.
How long does registration take?
Where nothing is raised: roughly 4-6 months in the EU and UK, 8-10 months in the US, 6-8 months in Japan, 11-18 months in Canada and 12-18 months for a Madrid designation. Any refusal or opposition extends it, and nobody can honestly promise a fixed grant date.
Can one filing protect several countries?
Yes, through a Madrid designation or an EU trade mark. But each designated office still examines, and an EU right can be defeated by a conflict in one member state. Wider coverage is not the same as lower risk.
How is the work priced?
Official fees follow the current schedule of the USPTO, EUIPO and other offices; our service fee is quoted by class and case complexity.
Want an assessment first?
Tell us the product and target marketplaces and we will give you a registrability opinion, a realistic timeline and a cost breakdown. Files can be submitted within 48 hours of confirmation.
