Trademark application fees in France
Fees associated with filing trademark applications in France, as well as other trademark fees, are available in the fee calculator.
Multiple-class Trademark applications in France
Multiple-class trademark applications are possible in France.
Minimum Trademark filing Requirements in France
The official language of the proceedings before the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property) is French.
To obtain the filing date, it is necessary to furnish the INPI with the application for registration containing:
– information about the applicant;
– representation of the trademark;
– list of goods and services;
– priority claim (if applicable);
– proof of payment of the prescribed fees.
A certified copy of the Priority Document and the translation thereof should be submitted within 3 months from the filing date.
It is not necessary to provide the Power of Attorney if the applicant is represented by an industrial property attorney. In other cases, the original non-legalized Power of Attorney should be submitted.
Publication, opposition, and examination of a French trademark application
Trademarks are examined as to the compliance with formal requirements, and it is established during the substantive examination whether a sign is distinctive or not. No search for prior trademarks is conducted. Applications are published within 6 weeks from the filing date. The term for launching oppositions is two months from the publication of an application.
Grant, validity term, and trademark renewal in France
There is no official grant fee in France. Trademarks in France are valid for ten years from the filing date, renewable indefinite number of times for further periods of ten years. A request for renewal for trademarks filed before December 11, 2010, should be filed within a six-month period which ends on the last day of the anniversary month. For trademarks filed after December 11, 2010, the renewal can be filed within a twelve-month period which ends on the expiration day of a trademark. The payment still may be effected and renewal may be requested during a grace period of six months, a corresponding surcharge applies.
Duration of the French trademark application registration procedure
To get a trademark registered in France, it takes an average of 4-6 months.
Use requirement
If a trademark has not been used for five years from the registration, it can be canceled on a third-party request filed with the French IP Institute.
Representation by a French trademark attorney
For applicants not residing in France, EU, or EEA (European Economic Area), it is necessary to perform trademark registration through an agent, a registered French trademark attorney.
Notes
1. Online Search Databases: French Trademarks, EU Trademarks, International Trademarks, TMView
2. Trademark protection in France may also be obtained via registration of a European Union Trademark.
3. French trademark registration extends to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and French Guyana, Wallis and Futuna, the French Austral Islands and the French Antarctic territories, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte, and to New Caledonia and dependencies.
4. The response to a provisional refusal of an international registration in France can be filed within one month from the date the applicant receives the refusal, extensions are possible. It is not necessary to provide evidence of the date of receipt. The language of the response in French. Applicants not residing in the EU, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland are required to appoint a local representative.
If you have any queries related to the Trademark Filing in France, please contact IIPLA team. We will be more than happy to resolve your queries free of cost.