France Trademark Registration
France is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement, the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Application Pathways for French Trademark Registration:
There are three ways to register a trademark in France:
- Direct application to the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).
- Submission of a European Union trademark application (which covers all EU member states, including France, without separate designation).
- Madrid International Registration with France designated.
The quickest methods are the first and second.
French Trademark Registration Application Process:
- Trademark Examination
- Rejection and Appeal
- Publication and Opposition
- Registration
Note:
- In France, the statute of limitations for trademark infringement lawsuits is 5 years. This means that if a trademark has been legally registered and in effect for 5 years, other companies can no longer sue for infringement on the grounds that the trademark is similar to their own.