EU Trademark Search and Registration for US Companies (2026)

A US trademark registration does not protect a brand in Europe. For US companies selling, licensing, franchising or manufacturing in the EU, the standard route is a European Union trade mark (EUTM) filed at the EUIPO — one registration covering all 27 member states. This guide walks through the search and registration process with a steps-and-costs table, so you can budget and decide where a European trademark attorney adds value.

Start with your own house. Before searching Europe, confirm who owns the US mark, whether the USPTO application is still pending, and whether any licence or security agreement restricts international filing. Ownership mismatches between the US and EU applications are a common reason for recordal delays later.

The EUIPO search is free, but not the whole story. EUIPO eSearch plus and TMview let you search EU trade marks and many national registers for identical or near-identical marks. A clean eSearch result is helpful, but it does not cover phonetic equivalents, descriptive or reputation-based conflicts, or unregistered use. For a launch decision, a professional clearance search adds interpretation and risk ranking.

Add WIPO and common-law layers. Madrid Protocol designations with effect in the EU appear in the WIPO Global Brand Database, and some conflicts only show up there. A common-law review — searching trading names, domain registrations, app stores and social platforms in Germany, France, the Netherlands and other target markets — catches unregistered risks that official registers miss.

Class count is the biggest cost lever. The EUIPO charges €850 for one class, €900 for two classes and €150 for each additional class. Filing too broadly wastes money and increases opposition and non-use cancellation risk; filing too narrowly leaves gaps competitors can exploit. The right specification matches your current and planned EU use and uses Harmonised Database terms the EUIPO accepts without objection.

US companies need an EUIPO professional representative. If your company has no domicile or establishment in the European Economic Area, the EUIPO requires you to appoint a professional representative. A US trademark attorney or in-house counsel cannot represent you directly before the EUIPO unless they are also entered on the EUIPO list. That is the practical reason most US brands engage a European trademark attorney for filing.

The timeline is predictable if unopposed. An EUTM application is usually examined within one to two months, published for opposition three months later, and registered shortly after the opposition window closes if no opposition is filed. A straightforward case from filing to registration takes roughly four to six months. An opposition or significant office action can add a year or more.

The Madrid Protocol is an alternative, not a shortcut. A Madrid designation of the EU based on a US registration or application can reach the EUIPO, but the EUIPO still examines it as an EUTM. If your US specification is broad or US-centric, you may face the same clarity objections as a direct filing. Direct EUIPO filing usually gives more control over the specification and faster response handling.

After registration, the work is maintenance and use. An EUTM lasts ten years and is renewable indefinitely for the same fee structure. But it is vulnerable to revocation for non-use after five years on any goods or services where genuine use cannot be shown. A specification drafted around real commercial plans is easier to enforce and easier to defend.

When should a US company hire a European trademark attorney? At the latest before filing. An attorney can run the clearance, map your USPTO identification to EUIPO-compliant wording, pick the right class count, respond to objections and manage oppositions. Early involvement is cheaper than fixing a refused application or defending an opposition caused by a weak search.

For US brands that want the filing handled end-to-end, see the European Trademark Attorney service page. It covers clearance, EUTM filing, EUIPO opposition work and licensing support, with flat, quoted fees and replies within one business day.