Trademark registration is an important activity for businesses wishing to do business in the French market, the right to a trademark in France will be granted to the individual or company using that mark for the first time in France.
Requirements when filing a trademark application in France
The official language when registering a trademark at the French Intellectual Property Office is French.
Multiple trademarks can be registered with one application in France.
An application for “registration of a mark” in France must contain the following information: the mark to be registered, the request for registration of the mark in France, information about the applicant(s), and a list of the goods and/or services to be registered. a signature, priority document (if priority is required), trademark sample, and proof of payment of the respective fees.
A certified copy of the Priority Document and its translation must be submitted within 3 months of the date of application.
A Power of Attorney is not required if the applicant is represented by an industrial property attorney. In other cases, the original Power of Attorney that does not need to be legalized is required when applying.
Stage of examination, publication, and objection to trademark applications in France
The mark will be assessed for compliance with formality requirements and determined during the substantive examination whether the mark is distinctive. There is no need to conduct a trademark search prior to the due diligence process. Applications are published within 6 weeks of application submission. The time limit for submitting an objection is two months from the date of publication of the application.
Term of validity and renewal of trademark
There is no official license fee in France. Trademarks in France are valid for a period of ten years from the date of filing. The validity of a trademark can be renewed an infinite number of times, 10 years each time. Renewal requests may be filed for a period of twelve months prior to the expiration of the mark’s expiration date. Payments can still be made and renewal may be requested for a six-month grace period, corresponding surcharges apply.
The trademark registration process in France takes place an average of 4-6 months.
Use requirements
If a trademark has not been used within a period of 5 years from the date of registration, the mark may be canceled at the request of a third party to the French IP Institute.
Represented by a trademark attorney
For foreign applicants, a trademark search in France should be performed through a law firm or a trademark registration attorney in France.
You can find the list of France IP firms here.