Switzerland

Legal basis is the Law on Protection of Trademarks of August 28th, 1992, in force since April 1st, 1993, as last amended on Juli 1, 2011.Switzerland is a member of the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol. Trademark protection is obtained by registration or enjoyed by well-known trademarks (Art. 6bis Paris Convention).

Trademark registration classification:

Nice Classification

Requirements:

  • Information about the applicant- applicant’s name, address, entity type, citizenship of the person or the jurisdiction which governs the organization of the specific entity.
  • Name of the trade mark and one copy of the mark (unless mark is word only).
  • class(es) and specification of goods and/or services .
  • A non-legalized power of attorney is sufficient.  

Procedure:

  • A trademark application has to be filed before the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property by a local agent. 
  • Once the trademark is filed you will receive confirmation of filing and a copy of the filing request.
  • After a formal examination at the IPI, your trademark will be published on www.swissreg.ch.to allow third parties to oppose it if they believe that your mark infringes on theirs. 
  • An opposition can be filed within 3 months from the publication date.
  • It takes approximately 4 months from first filing to registration.
Duration and Renewal: A trademark registration in Switzerland is valid for 10 years and starts with registration date. The registration is renewable for periods of 10 years.

 Fee Structure 
         
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