How to register a trademark in Italy and the EU
How to register a trademark step by step: UIBM or EUIPO, fees, Nice classes, clearance search, duration and oppositions. With a practical example.
In 30 seconds
- Registering a trademark gives you the exclusive right to use it for the goods and services in the classes you choose.
- In Italy you register with the UIBM (from about €101 for one class plus stamp duty); for the whole EU with the EUIPO (€850 for one class).
- First you run a clearance search: you check that no identical or similar mark exists in the same sector.
- Registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed indefinitely; if you don't use the mark for 5 years you can lose it.
To register a trademark in Italy you file an online application with the UIBM (Italian Patent and Trademark Office); to protect it in every EU country with one application you file with the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office). First you check that the name is available, then you choose the classes of goods and services, pay the fee and wait for the opposition period.
What registration gives you
The exclusive right to use the sign (a name, a logo, sometimes a colour, a shape or a sound) for the goods and services listed, and to oppose anyone using an identical or similar sign that could confuse customers. Without registration you only have an unregistered mark (in Italy, marchio di fatto): weaker protection, limited to the area where the name is known and hard to prove.
UIBM or EUIPO: which to choose
| Italian trademark | EU trade mark | |
|---|---|---|
| Office | UIBM | EUIPO (based in Alicante) |
| Where it protects | Italy | All 27 EU countries |
| Online cost, 1 class | about €101 + stamp duty | €850 |
| Extra classes | about €34 each | €50 for the 2nd, €150 from the 3rd |
| Duration | 10 years from filing, renewable | 10 years from filing, renewable |
| Opposition | 3 months from publication | 3 months from publication |
These are the amounts reported for online filings in 2025-2026: always check the current fee tables on the office’s website before paying.
How to choose: if you only sell in Italy and have a small budget, the UIBM is enough. If you sell online in several EU countries, an EU trade mark costs less than several national ones. For countries outside the EU there’s the Madrid system, run by WIPO, which starts from an Italian or EU registration.
How to register a trademark in 6 steps
1. Run a clearance search
A clearance search finds out whether identical or similar marks already exist for identical or related goods or services. Offices don’t always block a similar mark: if you register it and the earlier owner opposes, you lose time and money. Where to search, for free:
- TMview: searches the databases of almost every European office at once;
- the EUIPO’s eSearch plus, for EU trade marks;
- the UIBM database, for Italian marks;
- WIPO’s Global Brand Database, for international marks.
Search variants too: the same words spelt differently, translations, names that sound the same.
2. Check the name is distinctive
A trademark must distinguish your goods from other people’s. A name that only describes the product or one of its qualities (“Good Tea”, “Organic Herbal Tea”) is usually refused or protects very little. Invented words, names that evoke without describing and original combinations work better.
3. Choose the type of mark
- Word mark: the name alone, in any font. The broadest protection.
- Figurative mark: the logo alone.
- Combined mark: name and graphics together. Protects that combination.
4. Choose the Nice classes
The Nice Classification splits goods and services into 45 classes. The 13th edition has been in force since 1 January 2026. For an online tea shop, for example:
| Class | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 30 | Tea, tea-based infusions, coffee, sugar |
| 35 | Retail, including online, and advertising |
| 21 | Teapots, cups, household containers |
Each extra class costs more: choose the ones you really work in, or will soon.
5. File and pay
At the UIBM you file online with an Italian digital identity (SPID or CIE) through the office’s portal; at the EUIPO through its website, with a free account. The filing date matters: from that day you have priority over marks filed later.
6. Wait for examination and opposition
The office examines the application and publishes it. From then, for 3 months, anyone with a similar earlier mark can file an opposition. If nobody opposes, or the opposition is rejected, the mark is registered.
After registration
- Actually use the mark: if you don’t use it for 5 consecutive years, anyone can ask for it to be revoked.
- Watch: check new applications similar to yours from time to time and oppose within 3 months.
- Renew every 10 years, before expiry: after that there’s a grace period with a surcharge.
- Use the ® symbol only after registration.
The most common mistakes
- Registering the logo and not the name, then finding a competitor can use the same name with different graphics.
- Choosing too many classes “to be safe” and paying more for goods you don’t sell.
- Buying the domain and thinking it’s enough: a domain isn’t a trademark.
- Skipping the clearance search and receiving an opposition after printing packaging and signs.
An example
The fictional tea shop Five Leaf sells online in Italy, France and Germany. A TMview search finds a “Five Leaves” mark in class 3 (cosmetics): a distant sector, so the risk of confusion is low. The shop files the word mark “Five Leaf” with the EUIPO in classes 30 (tea and herbal infusions) and 35 (online retail): €900 in total. It will register the leaf logo later, once it’s final.
The name and logo are part of the brand identity and the brand guidelines: protecting them is one of the brand manager’s jobs.
Sources
A tea shop sells online across the European Union. Which registration fits best?
Correct! An EU trade mark protects the name in every EU country with a single application.
Not quite. A domain isn't a trademark; using a name for years gives some protection, but much weaker and harder to prove.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a trademark?
At the Italian UIBM, filing online, about €101 for the first class and €34 for each extra class, plus stamp duty. At the EUIPO €850 for one class, €50 for the second and €150 for each class from the third. Add a consultant's fee if you use one.
How long does trademark registration take?
It depends on the office and on oppositions. After the application is published there are 3 months in which other owners can oppose it; if nobody does, the mark is usually registered within a few months of filing.
What are the Nice classes?
Goods and services are split into 45 classes (34 for goods and 11 for services) by the Nice Classification, now in its 13th edition, in force since 1 January 2026. The mark is protected only in the classes you choose.
Do I register the name and the logo together?
You can register the name alone (word mark), the logo alone (figurative mark) or both together (combined mark). The name alone usually gives the broadest protection, because it applies whatever the font or colour.
Do I need a lawyer or attorney?
No, you can file online yourself. For important marks, or when the search finds similar marks, a registered trademark attorney is worth it.
What does the ® symbol mean?
It marks a registered trademark. Using it for an unregistered mark is misleading. ™ is often used for a mark in use but not (yet) registered.
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