National application, Madrid system, or EU trademark registration

How to apply best

Applicants come to us with the task of registering a trademark worldwide. In reality, this is possible. But do you really need such a registration? A trademark has a principle of territorial defense. Consequently, you will only have trademark rights in the territory where you have an active trademark registration. Let's take a look at a few registration process strategies.

You have a local business. You have just opened and your company is in the early stages of development.

As with any other matter, when you start registering your trademark, it is important to assess your strengths carefully. From our point of view, the most important thing is to file the application as soon as you start your project in the country where your business is located. Everything you have planned in your strategy for other countries can be done later.

But it is essential to file the first application as soon as possible. Why is this so important? The point is that, for the patent office, the owner of the trademark will be considered, by default, to be the first person to have applied to the office for trademark registration. The application date is the date on which the applicant's priority right to register a designation appears.

Therefore, if you have come up with a wonderful idea, developed a business plan, and started talking to potential investors and partners, your business may be at risk. Someone else may see significant potential in your idea, check whether you have registered your intellectual property, and, if not, get ahead of you. For example, you have come up with a wonderful name for your brand—the name of a niche restaurant or bar. Your competitor applies to register that name before you do. It is difficult to get your opponent to receive a trademark refusal instead of a registered trademark. You would have to demonstrate use in your opposition, provide evidence of use, and also argue that the competition is malicious. It is a costly process that will require constant resources.

That is why there is nothing easier than applying for registration in time. In time means applying even before starting the business, right at the beginning of negotiations.

From the moment of application, you will obtain the corresponding date of your “reservation” of that trademark. Apart from the application, it is necessary to comply with certain mandatory conditions to apply for registration. You will need to pay the corresponding fees and meet other requirements so that your application is not withdrawn.

The amount to be paid in trademark registration fees is determined separately in each country. You can check the fees on the local office's website. After paying the fees, keep the paid invoice so that you can confirm the payment.

Regional registration. EU trademark registration

If you have decided that your business will be located in a specific region, it would be a good idea not to postpone trademark registration in other countries. For example, you are planning to launch a chain of barbershops in all EU countries. You plan to launch your first barbershop in Poland. You plan to launch the other barbershops as franchises. In this case, it is critical to register the trademark in all EU countries. If you don't, your competitors may like your format and launch the project in the Czech Republic. This means that you will have lost a potential franchise if you don't take care of your intellectual property first.

Since there is an EU trademark (regional registration) that is active in all EU countries, it is the most economical and cost-effective option for registration.

International trademark registration. International business strategy

There is the Madrid system for international trademark registrations. It is the easiest way to register a trademark in other countries. The term “international registration” is quite ambiguous. As specialists, we always have cases of requests such as “I want to register a trademark worldwide.” Unfortunately, this is impossible. Currently, 131 countries are part of the Madrid system. This means that you can apply for international registration of your trademark through the Madrid system in 131 countries if you select all of these countries in your registration application. It is important to mention that each country will have a fee that must be paid. Countries have their own specific fees. It is important to take this into account when applying.

For an international application, you will need a national application, which we have already discussed. This will be the basis for the international registration, because international registration is requested through the office where the applicant has their home or business address. Therefore, the designation logo, applicant details, and list of goods and services will all be repeated in the international application for trademark registration. It is not possible to modify this information.

It is also important to note that you can use the right of priority when applying for international registration. For example, on 09/26/2025, you apply for trademark registration through the national procedure. You are granted 6 months to apply for international registration with priority rights. Therefore, even if you apply for international registration 5 months after the national application, you can indicate 09/26/2025 as the priority date.

We hope this information has helped you understand the mechanisms involved in trademark registration. You can send us any questions you may have by clicking on the following link. Request a consultation