File your EU trade mark application with a clear process

An EU trade mark application usually begins with confirming what sign you want to protect, which goods or services should be covered, and whether there are obvious filing risks. From there, the application is prepared and lodged with the relevant office. After filing, the application may be examined and then published, which can lead to questions from the office or objections from third parties. Our role is to help with the stated legal work in that filing process, including preparation and submission, while approval and third-party decisions remain outside our control.

It helps to have a clear version of the brand you want to register, such as the word mark or logo, plus details of the goods or services you want covered in Europe. We may also need information about who will own the application and how the brand is being used or is intended to be used commercially. Class selection and wording matter because they affect the reach of the application. If the descriptions are too broad, too narrow, or poorly matched to your business, that can create avoidable issues later.

Once the application is filed, timing is influenced by the examining office's workload, whether any questions are raised during examination, and whether another party decides to oppose the application after publication. Those steps are not controlled by Sprintlaw. A straightforward application may move ahead more smoothly, but delays can happen if the mark is considered descriptive, conflicts with earlier rights, or the goods and services need clarification. We can help you understand where the application sits and what the next filing-stage step is, but we You will get a clear view of the legal issues and the next steps that matter. or approval date.

Yes. A New Zealand business can apply for an EU trade mark to seek protection across EU member states through one filing route. This can be attractive if you are selling into Europe, launching there soon, or want broader brand coverage than a country-by-country strategy. That said, filing in the EU does not replace the need to think about your wider brand strategy in other markets. If you need broader international planning beyond the EU application itself, that would usually sit outside this fixed-fee service and may require separate advice.

Timing varies depending on whether the application proceeds cleanly or runs into examination issues or opposition. In practice, some applications move through in a matter of months, while others take longer because of office queries, publication periods, or third-party challenges.

The sequencing matters: filing is only one stage, and later steps can affect the overall timeframe. We can help you understand what stage your application has reached and what usually comes next, but the regulator's timing and any third-party response are external factors that can extend the process.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the EU Trade Mark Application service, pricing starts from $2,000.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.