What is the process required to apply for German trademark registration?

1, the applicant qualifications: German law provides that any wish to make their goods or services in commercial activities to distinguish their goods or services from the goods or services of others can apply to the German Patent Office to register a trademark. Federal law also provides that an applicant who does not have a place of business in Germany may apply for trademark protection in Germany only if the applicant accepts German trademarks or service marks in the country in which the applicant has a place of business and treats them in the same way as trademarks in his or her home country.

2. Formal examination: After the application is submitted, the examiner will examine the legitimacy of the submitted application documents, trademark labeling, power of attorney, and other documents; if they meet the requirements, the application date and application number will be granted.

3. Substantive examination: the examiner will examine whether the trademark is registrable according to the law, whether it is the same or similar to the registered trademarks, and whether it violates the prohibited provisions of the Trademark Law. For trademarks that do not pass the substantive examination, the examiner will notify the applicant in writing and inform the reasons for rejection. The applicant has a deadline from the date of receipt of such notice of refusal to file a reexamination, otherwise, the application will be deemed abandoned and neither the filing date nor the application number will be retained.

4. Trademark Publication: After examination, the examiner will publish a notice in the German Official Trademark Bulletin after he thinks the trademark application is acceptable. Three months from the date of publication is the opposition period.

5. Approval of Registration: A trademark that has been ruled to be registrable after opposition, or a trademark that has been advertised without opposition, will be approved for registration and a registration certificate will be issued. The whole smooth application process (if there is no refusal, opposition, etc. appeared) takes about 4-6 months.

6, the German trademark validity: 10 years from the date of application, the expiration of the validity of the registration needs to continue to use, should be in the registration of the validity of the expiration of six months before the application for renewal of the registration, each time the renewal of the registration is valid for 10 years.