As Greece is a “first to file” jurisdiction, trademark registration is required to get rights to a trademark. Unregistered trademarks can only be protected in exceptional cases. The Hellenic Industrial Property Organization (OBI) will receive trademark registration applications.
Greece is a member of the European Union. Thus, European Union Trademarks (EUTM) are protected in this country. It is also a Madrid Protocol member state. As a result, this country can use the Madrid System to extend an international trademark registration.
Trademark registration applications filing requirements at a minimum
To get a filing date in Greece, the trademark application must include at least the following information:
– representation of the trademark;
– list of goods and services;
– applicant’s details;
– A Power of Attorney.
The Power of Attorney’s Requirements
The Power of Attorney (POA) can be simply signed or stamped. The form can be submitted at the same time as a trademark application in Greece.
Priority document’s Requirements
Within three months of filing a trademark application, the priority document must be translated into Greek and filed with the Greece Trademark Office.
Term of Validity
In Greece, a trademark is valid for ten years from the date of registration.
Period of opposition
In Greece, opposition to a trademark application must be submitted within three months of the application’s upload to the General Secretariat of Commerce’s website.
Grant and renewal
There is no official grant fee involved. A proprietor’s application and timely payment of the renewal cost can extend trademark protection for another ten years. During the last six months of protection, the renewal charge should be paid. It can also be paid within a six-month period after the end of the decade if the payment is increased by half.
Use requirement
The validity of a trademark in Greece can be revoked if the owner of the trademark has not used it for five years after it’s registered.
Representation by a trademark attorney
In order to prosecute a trademark in Greece, foreigners must work with a registered Greek trademark attorney.
The list of Greece IP Firms can be found here.