Trademark registration cost in Poland – new registration procedure
Last year the trademark registration procedure in Poland was changed. I had been informing about that change on my blog, before the changes were officially implemented.
The Polish Patent Office rejected the trademark registrability search, which had been conducted by the Office in the past. At present the Office implemented so-called opposition procedure. If no oppositions to the trademark application are filed, than the trademark is registered. That crucial change limited the registration time from one year to 6-7 months if no oppositions are filed.
You must be aware that the cost of trademark registration depends on three factors.
- the territorial scope of protection;
- the amount of classes indicated in the application;
- sometimes from the trademark form (ie. if you want to protect your name or logo).
The protection right is valid from the date of the trademark application.
Below you can find detailed calculations.
a) Application:
- a fee for a trademark application in one class – 450 PLN (113 EUR). If it is done online a fee amounts to 400 PLN (100 EUR)
- a fee for each additional class – 120 PLN (30 EUR).
b) Protection:
- a fee for 10-year protection period for each class – 400 PLN (100 EUR)
- a fee for publication of an information about granted protection – 90 PLN (23 EUR).
Example:
The following trademark evoking positive emotions has been recently registered in Poland. Applicant indicated class 30. The application was made under the new regulations. The cost of trademark registration amounted to 236 EUR (113 EUR for a trademark application + 100 EUR for the 10-year protection period + 23 EUR for publication).
What are classes in a trademark?
If you want to protect your trademark, you must indicate the list of goods and services for which it is designated. This is done with the help of the Nice Classification.
This classification contains 45 classes. 34 commodity classes and 11 service classes. In each class, similar goods or services are grouped. The more classes you choose, the protection of your trade mark will be wider. But in such situation the trademark registration cost would increase.
What is very important, once you have filed your application you will have no opportunity to add anything to the application. Especially new goods or services. If you forgot something you will have to make a new application.
Although the trademark registration cost in Poland depends on the number of classes of goods, it is not worth pointing out everything in such class. Why? Because the law requires that the trademark shall be used for a continuous period of 5 years. This means that after that time the competition will be able to invalidate the protection of your trademark. This is done in litigation procedure that will expose you to additional costs.
It’s a well-prepared list of goods and services on which a strong trademark protection is based on. If you need help contact me.
Remember about the legal analysis of the brand!
If you file a trademark you should be aware that sometimes the trademark registration right will not be granted by the Patent Office. The trademark must meet many formal requirements. Including the most important one. It can not be identical or similar to already registered trademarks.
If it is, than the owner of the earlier trademark registration may file an opposition to your application. Alternatively, if your trademark is registered, such person may attempt to invalidate it.
Also remember that if you unconsciously infringe someone else’s right to trademark registration then you can be sued by such person. It may require you to prohibit the use of the current name of your company.
What’s more, it may want you to pay the compensation for it.
To avoid such situation, it is worth to do a legal analysis of the brand, before the application for trademark registration. You can find identical trademark on your own.
The problem appears with similar trademarks. Is a trademark that is different from your with one letter a violation of law? And two?
Remember that this is a very important issue. It does not matter if you think the trademarks are similar. It’s important what the verdict will be delivered by the judge.
If you want to build a strong business on your trademark registration, you need to be sure that you do not break the law. For this reason, it is worth to order the mentioned analysis to the patent attorney.
Zobacz również:
- Jak chronić nazwę firmy? 5 mitów, które mogą zniszczyć Twoją firmę!
- Czy trolle od znaków towarowych działają w Polsce?
- Program Współpraca w Ochronie Praw a podróbki na Allegro
- Jak zgłosić naruszenie prawa na Allegro? Usuń ofertę konkurenta!
- Jak sprawdzić czy logo nie jest plagiatem
- Co oznacza symbol TM przy logo?
- Allegro usunęło moją ofertę. Co zrobić, aby ją szybko przywrócić?
- 32 powody dlaczego warto chronić markę firmy jako znak towarowy
FAQ
Does registering a logo also protect the company name?
It’s possible ✅, but it depends on the word that appears in the logo. If the name „bluntly” indicates what you offer, then I have bad news. The law will not protect it. No one can have a monopoly on words that are too general and common in a given niche. Examples include:
?CLINIC-24.PL
?VIP FURNITURES
?BIO MARKET WARSZAWA
However, if you use a fanciful name like ?FROG for markets, it’s a different story. „Frog” doesn’t sell frogs, so this name is very original in the eyes of the law. Similarly, the company APPLE doesn’t sell apples. In each of these examples, registering the logo monopolizes the name.
Using a descriptive name has another disadvantage. The Patent Office may refuse registration. It does so quite often, in fact, in 28% of cases. You can avoid this by conducting a legal analysis of your brand ✅ before filing the application. It’s worth ordering such a service from a patent attorney.
Does registering a name guarantee that I am not infringing on any rights?
No ❌. This is a harmful myth! Many people think that if the Patent Office has registered their trademark, then everything has been verified from a legal perspective.
? The brutal truth is different. At the application stage, the official reviewing the application does not verify whether your name infringes on any rights. They simply wait to see if any objections are filed by competitors. If none are received, they will grant you protection.
? Technically, you could register a competitor’s logo. The Patent Office will not refuse to grant you protection on its own. However, you will not be able to use such a mark anyway. The aggrieved company defending itself can rely on rights to an unregistered trademark.
? How can you avoid unnecessary disputes over a trademark? Order a patent attorney to verify it for you. You will receive a written opinion on whether you can use it, and in the event of a conflict, you will learn how to circumvent it.
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