A trademark protects your goods and services in Austria. If you also want to secure your trademark abroad, you have two options: the EU trademark for the entire EU area and the international trademark via the Madrid System, which currently offers the possibility for protection in more than 130 countries worldwide – including the U.S., China, Japan, and India.
Both options can be combined. Which one is right for you depends on the markets in which you operate or plan to operate in the future.
EU trademark
The EU trademark protects your trademark in all EU member states – with a single application and a filing in just one language. It is the direct route if you operate primarily within the European single market. The term of protection is ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for additional ten-year periods as often as desired.
The EUIPO – the European Union Intellectual Property Office – is responsible for the registration and administration of EU trademarks.
International Trademark – Madrid System
Registering an international trademark under the Madrid System allows you to extend the protection of your existing trademark or trademark application to more than 130 countries with a single application. You decide which countries to designate – and can later extend protection to additional countries.
The application is filed through the Austrian Patent Office as the Office of Origin and is forwarded from there to WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) in Geneva.