Legal and intellectual property services

Review names, classes, territories and conflicts before public use and market investment.

Basis and responsibility boundaries

Updated August 2026

EU trade-mark and IP planning means completing searches, class and territory choices, filing, opposition management and post-registration evidence before and after public brand use. RX Consult brings together chartered accountants, practising lawyers, labour consultants, engineers and Chinese-speaking advisers to provide one-stop professional services for Chinese companies expanding into Europe across market entry and strategy, company formation and tax, organisation and HR, international trade and M&A, law and intellectual property, product compliance and market access, and visa and residence matters. After receiving readable initial records, RX Consult normally provides an initial assessment or document plan within 48 hours, together with the applicable process, participants and next delivery milestones.

Businesses entering Europe, launching a brand, or aligning EU and national trademark protection.

One EU trade-mark filing can create unitary protection across all EU Member States.
The opposition period after publication of an EU trade mark is three months.
An EU trade-mark registration lasts ten years and may be renewed in ten-year periods.

Two practical starting routes

Neither route is automatically preferable; the choice follows the entity, evidence, objective and actual responsibilities.

EU trade-mark rights cycle

Places territorial effect, opposition and registration-renewal in one rights cycle.

Trade-mark stage	Verified rights rule
Territorial effect	One EU trade-mark filing can create unitary protection across all EU Member States.
Publication opposition	The opposition period after publication of an EU trade mark is three months.
Term and renewal	An EU trade-mark registration lasts ten years and may be renewed in ten-year periods.

EU trade-mark filing

Start with Brand, goods, services and territory map, then review Similarity search and risk observations.

Brand, goods, services and territory map
Similarity search and risk observations

Separate national filings

Start with Filing route, classes and priority coordination, then connect Opposition, renewal and use-evidence checklist.

Filing route, classes and priority coordination
Opposition, renewal and use-evidence checklist

End-to-end scope and boundaries

What can be coordinated

Brand, goods, services and territory map
Similarity search and risk observations
Filing route, classes and priority coordination
Opposition, renewal and use-evidence checklist

Delivery path

These are decision and delivery stages, not fixed weeks. Record quality, authorities and third parties affect the schedule.

Search and risk review

File the application

Publication and three-month opposition period

Registration, normally about four to six months if unopposed

Post-registration use evidence and ten-year renewal management

First-review documents

Word, device and brand-use versions proposed for filing
Goods-services list, classes and target countries or regions
Prior filings, search results, earlier use and marketing evidence
Owner, priority, deadlines and known-dispute information

Frequently asked questions

Should a trade mark be filed before or after shipment?

Complete clearance and file before public brand use and shipment where possible, reducing prior-right, bad-faith filing and forced-rebrand risk.

Does an EU trade mark cover every Member State?

Yes. It creates unitary protection across all EU Member States, but that unity also means an earlier conflict in one state may affect the whole application.

How long is the opposition period?

The opposition period after publication of an EU trade mark is three months, during which eligible earlier-right holders may oppose.

How long does registration last?

An EU trade mark lasts ten years and can be renewed in ten-year periods. Genuine-use evidence should also be retained.

Does a clear search guarantee registration?

No. Search scope, figurative similarity, unpublished applications, absolute grounds and later opposition may still affect the result.

Should we use an EU filing or national filings?

Compare target markets, conflict risk, budget and geographic use. An EU filing is broad; national filings can separate risk in priority markets.

Delivery records and working formats

Official reference sources

EUIPO: EU trade-mark opposition

Start with the facts

Share the company, target market and current stage so we can identify the records and professional roles to review.

Free Europe assessment