What are the costs for registering a trademark?
September 29, 2023 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Ingo Hausdorf
Dear trademark attorney,
My name is Anna Klinger and I have a question regarding the costs for registering a trademark. I am currently in the process of establishing my own business and would like to protect my brand. However, I have no clear idea of how much the costs for registering a trademark are and what other costs I may incur.
I am currently unsure if I can afford to register a trademark and whether it is financially worth taking this step. I am concerned that the costs of trademark registration may exceed my budget and if there may be cheaper alternatives to protect my brand.
Could you please explain to me in more detail what costs I can expect if I want to register my trademark? Are there different cost points that I should consider? What other costs could arise in connection with trademark registration? Are there possibly also government funding programs or support options to reduce the costs of trademark registration?
I look forward to your detailed response and thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Anna Klinger
Dear Mrs. Klinger,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the costs of registering a trademark. It is understandable that you are concerned about the financial aspects of trademark protection, especially as you are in the process of building your own business. I will now explain in detail the costs you can expect when registering a trademark and any additional costs that may arise.
The costs of registering a trademark typically consist of various fees. Firstly, there are the costs of conducting a trademark search to ensure that your desired trademark is not already being used by another company. This search can be done by yourself or you can hire a lawyer or specialized agency to do it for you. The costs for a professional trademark search can vary depending on the provider, but are usually in the range of a few hundred euros.
If the trademark search is successful and your trademark is registerable, you will need to pay the application fees to the relevant trademark office. Again, the fees can vary depending on the country and type of trademark. In Germany, the costs for registering a trademark with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) for a word mark are currently around 300 euros for the first class and 100 euros for each additional class. For a figurative mark or a combined mark, the fees may be higher.
Additionally, there may be further costs for monitoring and renewing the trademark registration. It is important to keep track of the duration of protection for your trademark and renew it in a timely manner to maintain protection. The costs for renewal can also vary depending on the country and type of trademark.
In terms of government funding programs or support for trademark registration, in Germany for example, there is the "Sign of Excellence" program of the DPMA, which financially supports small and medium-sized enterprises in filing for intellectual property rights. Therefore, it is worth looking into such funding opportunities to reduce the costs of trademark registration.
Finally, I recommend consulting with a specialized trademark lawyer to get a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in registering your trademark and to discuss potential ways to save money. I hope that my explanation has been helpful and I am available to answer any further questions you may have.
Best regards,
Ingo Hausdorf
Trademark Lawyer
