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Trade Mark Protection Abroad

Trade marks - national, European or international protection

A national trade mark application filed with the DPMA provides protection in the Federal Republic of Germany. However, you can also register a trade mark as an EU trade mark for protection throughout Europe, or internationally under the Protocol to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (PMMA). Each of these intellectual property protection systems has its advantages and disadvantages. It is up to each applicant to decide for themselves how to weigh up these advantages and disadvantages in their particular case. As this decision is not always straightforward, it is advisable to seek advice from a solicitor or patent attorney.

How to extend the protection of your German trade mark internationally

Under the Protocol to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (PMMA), it is possible to have a German trade mark that has been applied for or registered entered in the International Register, specifying the countries or contracting parties to which the trade mark is to be extended. The application for international registration must be submitted to the DPMA.

Once the DPMA has processed the application for international registration (IR), it is forwarded to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO/Organisation Mondiale de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OMPI)), which is based in Geneva. If all the requirements are met, WIPO enters the trade mark in the International Register and publishes the registration in the "Gazette des marques internationales". The trade mark is now filed as an application for protection in each of the designated countries/contracting parties. The countries/contracting parties concerned have one year (or, in certain cases, 18 months) to refuse protection for the trade mark in accordance with their national laws; otherwise, the IR trade mark proprietor enjoys the same rights as a national trade mark proprietor.

If the trade mark is refused in one of the countries or contracting parties, trade mark protection remains in force in the other designated countries/contracting parties. The term of protection for an IR trade mark is ten years and may be renewed as often as required.

You can also submit your application for international registration of your trade mark to the DPMA electronically and without a signature.

If you do not yet own a German trade mark, click here to apply online via the DPMA.

This is how to protect trade marks in the European Union

The European Union (EU) trade mark provides uniform protection in all member states of the European Union. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante (Spain) is responsible for the registration. The initial duration of protection of an EU trade mark is ten years. It can be renewed indefinitely for further ten-year periods. Information on EU trade marks is available on the website of EUIPO. The Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 contains all the legal provisions concerning the European Union trade mark.

Links to the homepages of EUIPO and WIPO

• European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Last updated: 14 August 2026