Trademark registration starts with deciding which sign you want to protect, for which goods or services and in which territory. You then check the name, prepare the application and pay the fee. Examination by the office, publication of the application and an opportunity for opposition follow. Only successfully completed proceedings lead to registration.
This guide covers a Czech national application filed with the Czech Industrial Property Office (ÚPV). An EU trademark application is filed with EUIPO and follows its own procedure. Do not treat the Czech form as an application for protection throughout the European Union.
Have you not yet chosen the territory? First read when to choose a Czech trademark and when to choose an EU trademark.
1. Decide what you will apply for
Start with the sign you want customers to associate with your offering. It could be a name or logo. These options are not automatically interchangeable: you apply for a particular sign in a specific form.
For a word mark, you work with text. For a figurative mark, you need an appropriate representation, such as an image of the logo. Types of marks and representation requirements are described in ÚPV's trademark overview.
Before completing the form, answer these questions:
- Do I want to apply for the name alone, a particular logo, or two signs separately?
- Is the name final, including spelling and any diacritics?
- Is the logo being applied for complete, or am I still making major changes?
- Who should be the applicant and future owner of the trademark?
Resolve the last question particularly carefully if you are developing the brand with a partner or have not yet established the company. The person preparing the graphics or filing is not automatically the person who should own the trademark.
One national application contains only one sign. Filing requirements are set out in ÚPV's national application guide. If you are considering a separate name and a separate logo, establish the number of applications before preparing the budget.
2. List the goods, services and planned markets
Describe the specific offering for which you want to use the sign. “Everything related to business” is too general. Distinguish the products you sell from the services you provide.
A simple record can help with preparation:
Sign: exact name or final representation Goods: specific items in the offering Services: specific activities provided to customers Markets: countries where I want to use and protect the brand Applicant: the person or company that should own the trademark
Goods and services are categorised under the Nice Classification. ÚPV recommends TMclass for finding your way around and identifying suitable terms; see question 29 in its FAQ. The specific wording of the list matters, not just the class number.
If you do not know how to define the offering, prepare a factual description for your representative. Do not choose classes solely by the industry name or by how many fit into the basic fee.
3. Conduct a search before filing
Search your chosen name and similar signs in relevant trademark databases. For findings, establish the status, territory and goods or services. Checking that no company has exactly the same name, or that a domain is available, is not enough.
The detailed process is in how to check trademarks before choosing a business name. Before filing, save the queries, sources and relevant findings. Resolve any concern they raise before paying for the application.
Alongside similar signs, consider whether the name can distinguish your offering. During substantive examination, ÚPV assesses eligibility for registration; it lists generic, descriptive and misleading signs among problematic examples. An absence of database matches does not therefore mean the office will register the sign.
A search and an assessment of registrability answer different questions. If you commission help, confirm which of them the service includes.
4. Prepare and submit the application
You can use the ÚPV e-portal for electronic filing. Before starting, prepare the applicant's details, the sign and the list of goods or services. If a specialist represents you, also agree on the documents needed for representation.
Compare the form with your brief before submitting:
- Applicant: is the correct person or company listed?
- Sign: does the text or image match what you actually want to protect?
- List of offerings: does it contain the intended goods and services in the correct wording?
- Correspondence: who will receive messages and keep track of responses?
- Attachments: are they included as required for the filing and sign type?
After submitting, check that filing actually succeeded. Do not treat an unfinished form or failed submission attempt as a delivered application. Save the acknowledgement, a copy of the filing and payment information.
Acknowledgement of receipt is not a trademark registration certificate. ÚPV expressly explains this distinction in its national application instructions. It confirms receipt, not successful completion of the proceedings.
5. Pay the fee on time
According to the ÚPV fee schedule, the application acceptance fee is due within one month of receipt of the application. If it is not paid by the deadline, the application is treated as not filed; provisions on late payment and requests for payment do not apply.
Do not automatically wait for another reminder. Check the amount, payment details and correct identification of the payment, and save proof of payment. Resolve uncertainty before the deadline expires.
Current rates, electronic filing discount conditions and budget examples are covered in how much a trademark costs in the Czech Republic and the EU. Check the fee schedule again if you file later.
6. Monitor examination and respond to requests
ÚPV examines the formal requirements of the application and conducts substantive examination of the sign. It describes the process in its trademark overview. Having a file number and paying the fee does not mean this stage is complete.
If you receive a request, first note the delivery date and deadline. Then identify precisely what the office requires: additional information, supporting documents or a response to a particular issue. Prepare your reply according to the actual correspondence.
If you have a representative, agree who will supply the information and who will send the reply. Without representation, regularly check the delivery channel used for the proceedings. An internal note saying “still waiting for the office” will not help if a request has already arrived.
7. Publication of the application and opposition
Another important stage is publication of the application in the ÚPV Bulletin. Publication starts a three-month period for eligible parties to file an opposition. According to ÚPV's FAQ on opposition proceedings, this period cannot be extended and a missed deadline cannot be excused.
Publication is not registration. Any opposition filed must be considered. ÚPV forwards it to the applicant and sets a deadline for a response. Do not confuse this deadline with the three-month opposition filing period: it is a different procedural step.
If an opposition arises, have the earlier right being relied on and the part of your offering challenged assessed. Do not assume that adding a word to the name or explaining the difference yourself automatically resolves the dispute. Prepare an appropriate response based on the specific information, with a patent attorney or lawyer if needed.
8. After registration, check the details and arrange ongoing management
After the proceedings are successfully completed, verify the registered sign, owner and list of goods or services. Registration gives you rights within the relevant scope; it is not universal confirmation of rights to every use of a similar word. The nature of these rights is also described by the Czech Public Administration Portal in its trademark register extract guidance.
Add the outcome and registration details to your filing and proof of payment. Set up your own deadline records. ÚPV states that validity runs for ten years from the application date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods.
Decide who will handle changes to details, any additional signs and renewal. If you commission this management, check whether it is part of the original service or a separate item.
How long does registration take?
Distinguish individual statutory deadlines from the overall duration of the proceedings. The three-month opposition period runs from publication, not from sending the form. Examination happens beforehand; requests or opposition proceedings may take additional time.
We therefore do not promise a fixed registration date for a particular application. When planning your brand launch, distinguish the filing date, the proceedings and your decision about when to start using the sign. Do not dismiss unresolved legal concerns simply because an application has been submitted.
What to prepare before submitting
- The final sign and a decision on whether you are applying for the name, a logo or separate signs.
- The applicant who should become the owner.
- A specific list of goods and services and the chosen territory of protection.
- Search records and resolution of relevant concerns.
- A budget, payment process and person responsible for deadlines.
If you are still choosing a name, create candidates and start checking them on OverNazev.cz. Pay attention to the scope of the results. Move on to filing only once you have a specific sign and a defined offering for which you want protection.