France Trademark Registration
Hotline: 86-755-82143422,email: anitayao@citilinkia.com
France trademark registration is one way to protect your trademark in France. There are two options to register your trademark. The first one is that you request registration in the entire European Union with one single application; this can be done via the Community Trademark agreement which grants trademark protection in the twenty eight country members of the European Union (EU). The second one is to register your trademark directly in France.
France Trademark Law
The trademarks law in France is known as Law No. 91-7 of January 4, 1991 on Trademarks and Service Marks. France is a member of the EU and as such, all requirements and legislation must be compliant with that of the European trademark law.
Under France trademark law, foreign companies or individuals who are not a France resident or citizen within the EU or EEA must seek representation in France. The trademark act in France provides protection against all infringements of a registered marks rights and this protection extends to all 11 French overseas territories also.
France trademark law stipulates that the use of a France trademark is compulsory for the first 5 years post registration. It also requires that the use of the France trademark is performed “effectively and seriously” so as to prevent risk of removal on grounds of misuse or non-use.
France Trademark Requirements
The National Industrial Property Institute (INPI) is the intellectual property registry for France and is responsible for the registration of France marks. The owner of a trademark can be a company, individual or other legal entity and will apply for France trademark registration to the INPI.
France trademarks must not employ a deceptive character, nor must they be generic or common terms. Under trademark law in France, a mark must be capable of graphical representation and not be offensive to the morality or the public order. There is no trademark search conducted by the INPI so it is highly advisable that you enlist the help of a professional consultant to perform a thorough search on your behalf. A search will ensure your mark is available prior to applying for registration.
Length of Validity & Renewal
A registered Trademark is valid for 10 years from its application date, and is renewable indefinitely for periods of equal duration.
The renewal is valid for 10 years from the expiration date of the previous registration. The application of the renewal should be filed within the last 6 months of validity of the trademark (including the last month of validity and until the last day of this month) or during the supplementary grace period of 6 months calculated as from the first day of the month following the due date, subject to the payment of a supplementary tax. The mark is renewed in its previous form and there is no examination or opposition to the renewal of a trademark. Any amendment to the trademark or any extension to the designated list of products or services entails a new application.
Contact Us
If you have further inquires, please do not hesitate to contact Tannet at anytime, anywhere by simply visiting Tannet’s website www.tannet-group.net, or calling Hong Kong hotline at 852-27826888 or China hotline at 86-755-82143422, or emailing to tannet-solution@hotmail.com. You are also welcome to visit our office situated in 16/F, Taiyangdao Bldg 2020, Dongmen Rd South, Luohu, Shenzhen, China.