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Your law firm Bartel Legal.
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Kampenwandstrasse 90
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Our trademark lawyers offer you comprehensive support in registering your trademark with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE).
Why trademark registration is important in Switzerland
Switzerland offers companies an excellent legal framework for protecting their trademark rights. A registered trademark guarantees you exclusive rights of use and protects you from imitators.
Our experienced attorney will assist you in completing the registration process correctly with the help of their colleagues in Switzerland and avoid any legal pitfalls. With our support, you can ensure that your trademark is legally secure and effectively protected in Switzerland. We will accompany you from the initial trademark search through to long-term brand management.
The trademark registration process in Switzerland involves several steps, which we will explain to you in detail:
Protect your trademark in Switzerland – Our trademark attorney will guide you through the entire registration process and ensure that your trademark is registered efficiently and legally. Contact us now to professionally register your trademark in Switzerland!
Trademarks only provide legal protection if they are associated with specific goods and services. When registering a trademark, you must therefore specify exactly which products or services you want to protect your trademark for.
Nice Classification – division into 45 classes
The goods and services are divided into a total of 45 classes according to the “International Classification of Goods and Services” under the Nice Agreement.
Each class includes specific products or services.
It is important that you name the goods and services as precisely as possible to ensure that your trademark is protected for exactly the products that you actually intend to sell or offer.
Please note that after the trademark has been registered, it is no longer possible to expand the list of goods and services.
Example and precision in classification
Class 15 includes the title “Musical instruments; music stands and stands for musical instruments; batons”.
However, specific subcategories such as “bellows for musical instruments” or “bow hair for stringed instruments” must also be specified separately, as they are not fully covered by the class title.
Classification aid for the right selection
The Institute for Intellectual Property provides a classification guide to help you find the right names for goods and services and classify them correctly.
You can use this tool to search for specific goods and services terms or for the class headings of the 45 classes to make a precise selection.
Get professional support in creating your list of goods and services. Our trademark attorneys will help you file your trademark application efficiently and with legal certainty, ensuring your brand is optimally protected. Contact us now to register and protect your trademark correctly!
There may be several reasons why your trademark application was not accepted:
Formal deficiencies
Formal errors can occur if the goods and services are not correctly classified (see the list of goods and services) or if the representation of your trademark is incomplete or incorrect.
Material defects
Material defects occur when your trademark lacks distinctive character or is potentially deceptive (see conditions for protection).
In both cases, the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property will inform you in writing of the problems that led to the rejection.
When should you file an objection?
An opposition to the registration of a competitor's trademark makes sense if there is a risk of confusion.
This means that the impression is created that the goods or services in question could come from the same company or from affiliated companies.
This is the case when the brands are phonetically, visually or conceptually similar and the average consumer confuses them with each other.
Example
The brands “GreenLeaf” (a company that sells environmentally friendly products) and “GreenLeave” (a competitor in the field of sustainable agricultural products) are very similar.
Due to the similar word components and the overlapping goods, a consumer could confuse the two trademarks.
In this case, it would be advisable to file an opposition against the registration of the trademark “GreenLeave” in order to prevent the likelihood of confusion and to maintain trademark protection for “GreenLeaf” and to avoid diluting the distinctive character of the trademark.
How do you proceed?
If a competitor’s trademark registration is www.swissreg.ch is published, you can object within three months of publication.
The corresponding fee for the objection must also be paid within this period.
Once your trademark is registered in Switzerland, it is legally protected for a period of 10 years from the filing date at no additional cost. This trademark protection protects your trademark from unauthorized use and misuse.
Use of the trademark – Important deadlines to be observed
Important: You must actually use your trademark no later than five years after registration in order to maintain protection.
Otherwise you risk losing your trademark rights.
It is therefore crucial to use your brand in practice, whether by selling products or providing services under your brand name.
If a competitor has registered a similar or identical trademark, they may object to the use of your trademark. In such a case, you have the following options:
lodge an objection
File a lawsuit in civil court
To avoid potential conflicts, you should request an extract from the competitor's trademark register.
By comparing the two trademarks and their protected goods and services, you will receive an initial assessment of the risks.
If necessary, you can also consult a trademark consultant to assist you with legal issues.
Avoid legal pitfalls and consult with our trademark attorney to secure your trademark rights for the long term and prevent legal disputes. Contact us today to successfully protect and further optimize your brand!
Once registered, your trademark is protected for ten years. To ensure continued protection, you can renew it for an additional ten years for CHF 550.
This is how the extension works:
To renew your trademark protection, you must send us a renewal application and pay the renewal fee in good time before the expiration of the protection term.
If the extension is requested after the expiry of the protection period, an additional fee will be charged.
The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property will usually remind you well in advance of the expiration of your trademark protection, but you are responsible for applying for and paying the renewal fee on time.
Secure long-term protection for your trademark! Contact us today to renew your trademark in time and maintain protection!
Trademark registration and protection in Switzerland are subject to various fees. Here is an overview of filing and renewal fees, as well as other important costs:
Filing (trademark registration)
Deposit fee (protection period: 10 years, renewable): CHF 450
e-Discount (electronic registration): CHF 100
Class surcharge (from fourth grade, per class): CHF 100
Express fee (accelerated trademark examination): CHF 400
Contradiction
Objection fee: CHF 800
Deletion procedure
Deletion fee: CHF 800
Extension of trademark protection
Renewal fee (for 10 years, renewable at any time): CHF 550
Additional fee (if submitted within the 6-month grace period): CHF 50
Further treatment
Follow-up treatment fee: CHF 100
Optimize your trademark registration and renewal with our support! Our trademark attorney will help you professionally apply for and renew trademark protection in Switzerland and ensure that all deadlines and fees are correctly met. Contact us now for comprehensive advice and support with trademark protection in Switzerland!
Registering a trademark in Switzerland is an important step toward legally protecting your brand and safeguarding your corporate identity. Our trademark attorney will support you through every step of the registration process and ensure that your trademark is correctly and efficiently registered with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE).
Our services for trademark registration in Switzerland:
trademark search: We check whether similar or identical trademarks already exist and thus minimize the risk of trademark infringement.
Preparation and filing of the trademark application: We take care of the complete registration of your trademark with the IPI and ensure that all formalities are correctly fulfilled.
Advice on choosing the right brand form: We will advise you on whether a word mark, figurative mark or combination is best suited to your needs.
Monitoring trademark registration: We accompany you throughout the entire registration process and inform you about the status of the trademark examination and possible oppositions.
Trademark protection and renewal: After registering your trademark, we offer support in renewing trademark protection and maintaining your trademark.
Registering a trademark in Switzerland requires legal expertise to avoid errors that could lead to delays or rejections. Our trademark attorney will ensure that your application is submitted correctly and that all necessary requirements are met. We offer customized solutions and provide long-term support in defending and expanding your trademark rights.
Protect your brand in Switzerland with the support of our experienced trademark attorney. Contact us now to professionally register your trademark and secure its legal protection!
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 18:00