Need to know

Information for your trademark application

How to get a trademark

Trademarks Online is a leading self-service trademark application service. You can submit your online trademark application yourself using our platform, powered by artificial intelligence. It will be submitted with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP), to protect your trademark in the Benelux.

Our online trademark application process is the fastest, easiest way to protect your brand in the Benelux.

What to trademark

Protecting trademarks depends on the brands you value. Trademark registration allows you to prevent others from using your registered trademark for similar products or services.

When deciding what to protect, consider the key brands, names, and logos used in your business that you wouldn't want competitors using. Apply to protect word-based brands as word marks, and image-based brands as design marks.

Your trademark should be original and distinctive, or used for products/services unlikely to be confused with similar marks. It's best to choose a unique business or brand name.

If you want to protect multiple trademarks, you'll need to submit separate applications. Our service makes it easy to apply for additional trademarks after the first one.

The following are the most common types of trademarks  - and applying for a trademark registration online for these kinds of marks is usually straightforward.

Decide on the type of trademark

  • Logo Trademarks
    These may be images with or without words, such as these logos:

Determine the trademark owner

A trademark can be owned by:

Select the category

Trademarks must be registered for specific products and services, which are divided into 45 categories or trademark classes.

The classification system allows similar trademarks to be registered for different goods and/or services by different companies.

For example:

  •  KIT KAT is registered for chocolate products (Class 30)

  • ADIDAS is a registered trademark for athletic shoes (class 25), travel bags (class 18), and sporting equipment (class 28)

    A business may register a trademark that’s the same as an existing trademark, if it covers completely different products and the IP Office concludes that there is not likely to be any consumer confusion. To illustrate this:

  • SAFARI is registered by the global computer company, Apple, for software (class 9) and by Goodyear for tyres (class 12)

Our smart technology will guide you through the process of choosing the most appropriate products and services for your business.

You should also select goods and services which you may use in the future so that you can easily expand your brand offerings and protect your brand against the competition. Be resolute about what you may want to register your trademark for, but also be realistic.

You should be aware that you pay for each class that you include in your application. Refer to the pricing page for details.

How long does it take to get a trademark in Benelux?

After you apply, we will submit your trademark application to the Benelux Trademark Office within one business day and we’ll send you email updates at each stage of the process:

If your trademark application is accepted

If your application faces an objection to the wording

If your trademark application receives other objections

When your trademark is registered

After submission, the Benelux Trademark Office will assess the application within 1-3 weeks. They will address any needed clarifications at no extra cost. If the trademark is deemed too generic, our consultants can review the issues and provide options.

If approved, the application will be published for 2 months to allow for potential objections. Most applications move through this stage without problems.

Assuming no issues, the trademark will be registered within 3-4 months. The registrant will receive a certificate, and can then use the ® symbol. Benelux trademark registrations are valid for 10 years.

Ready to submit your application for a trademark registration online?

Your trademark application will only take you minutes!