Trade Mark Registration

Trade Mark Registration in practice

A name you have used for years does not yet belong to you in the way you might think. Trade mark protection in Slovakia arises only on registration; without it, you can rely only on unfair competition law. Before filing, it pays to know whether anyone holds an earlier similar mark. The Slovak IP Office does not examine earlier third-party rights itself; they come up only in opposition proceedings.

We run searches in the Slovak, EU and international registers and propose the classes of goods and services. Depending on where you trade, we recommend a national mark, an EU trade mark or an international registration. We file the application, represent you in opposition and cancellation proceedings and, if your mark is infringed, prepare a demand letter or court action.

What we help with

Trade mark search before filing
Selecting classes of goods and services under the Nice Classification
Filing with the Slovak IP Office, EUIPO or internationally via the Madrid System
Representation in opposition and cancellation proceedings
Portfolio and competitor filing watch
Enforcement: demand letter, court action, interim measures

Worth knowing

Ten years of protection

A mark is protected for 10 years from the filing date. Protection can be renewed for further ten-year periods with no limit.

Three months for oppositions

Once the application is published in the Slovak IP Office Gazette, owners of earlier rights have three months to file oppositions under Section 8 of Slovak Act No. 506/2009.

EU trade mark: all or nothing

An EU trade mark has unitary effect in all 27 Member States. If an earlier right blocks it in one country, the whole application may fail. It can then be converted into national applications keeping the original priority date.

International registration depends on the base mark

For the first five years, an international registration falls if the Slovak base mark ceases to exist. After five years it becomes independent.

Common questions

Search, choice of classes, filing, examination of absolute grounds under Section 7, publication, a three-month opposition period and entry in the register.
On absolute grounds under Section 7 of Slovak Act No. 506/2009, for example lack of distinctiveness, descriptiveness, deceptiveness or conflict with public morality. The office examines these grounds on its own initiative.
The renewal request is filed in the last 12 months before protection expires, or within 6 months afterwards with a surcharge. After renewal, protection runs for another 10 years.

Articles are in Slovak.

Preparing for the consultation

What to prepare for your consultation

Tick what you already have. You can print the list or save it as a PDF. Your ticks are remembered only in your browser.

For every matter

documents: contracts, decisions, demand letters, invoices
correspondence with the other party or the authority
a short timeline of what happened and when
the questions you want answered and what outcome you hope for

Also for this area

a Business Register extract and the articles of association
exactly what should change: director, registered office, shareholder, company name
identity documents of the people who will sign
contracts with partners that the matter concerns

0 of 8 ready

Discuss your matter with a lawyer

In a consultation we assess your situation, suggest a way forward and tell you what costs to expect.

€90 incl. VAT, 30 minutes, in person or online

This page is for general information, reflects Slovak law at the time of writing and is not a substitute for advice on your particular matter.

Trade Mark Registration