Trademark strategy
Initial consultation
Free
Free.
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Before launch · Trademark strategy
Decide what to protect, where and in which classes, before you file
Trademark strategy settles what you register (the word, the logo or both), for which goods and services and in which territory, before anything is filed. It suits founders, startups and agencies launching a new name. The first consultation is free, and you leave knowing which application is worth filing and what it will cost.
The first consultation is free. We settle the mark type, Nice classes and territory before you pay a single fee.
Your first consultation is free.
Who it’s for
This is for you if…
- You have a new name or logo and don't know if it can be registered
- You're launching a product and need to know whether Romania is enough or you need EU protection
- You're a branding agency and want to check a direction before you present it to the client
- You already own a trademark and are moving into new products or markets
What’s included
What we do for you
- A free initial consultation at our Brașov office, online or by phone
- Choosing the mark type: word, figurative, combined, three-dimensional, colour or sound
- An assessment of how distinctive the name or logo is
- Classifying your goods and services under the Nice Classification
- A territory recommendation: OSIM, EUIPO or an international registration
- A written cost estimate, with the Brand New IP fee, VAT and official fees shown separately
- Working directly with your branding agency from the creative stage
How it works
The steps, one by one
Step 1: Tell us what you're launching
Send us the name, the logo if you have one and a description of your goods or services, by email, WhatsApp or the contact form.
Step 2: The free consultation
We talk through your market, expansion plans and budget. If the name has a distinctiveness problem, we tell you straight away.
Step 3: Our recommendation
You get a concrete proposal: mark type, Nice classes, office and an itemised cost estimate.
Step 4: Next step
If you go ahead, we run the availability search and then file. If not, you keep the recommendation with no obligation.
Trademark strategy
What makes a name easy to register
Registering a trademark takes more than filling in a form. OSIM and EUIPO refuse signs that describe the product, so the first thing we check is how distinctive the name is. From strongest to weakest:
- Invented words with no meaning in any language (Kodak). The broadest protection.
- Ordinary words used in an unrelated context, such as Apple for computers.
- Suggestive names that hint at the product without describing it.
- Descriptive names that say what the product is ("Fresh Bread" for a bakery). Usually refused.
- Generic terms, the common name of the product. Never registrable.
A descriptive name can still be accepted if you prove with evidence that the public already links it to your business (acquired distinctiveness). It's possible, but it takes years of use and a solid file.
Trademark strategy
Which types of trademark you can register
A word mark protects the word itself, whatever the font or colour. A figurative mark protects a symbol, and a combined mark protects a logo with text exactly as it looks. If customers recognise the product by its shape, there's the three-dimensional mark. Less often, people register a colour on its own or a sound. The choice also affects OSIM's official fees, which differ for word marks, black-and-white figurative marks and colour figurative marks.
Trademark strategy
If you work with a branding agency
The cheapest moment to find out a name is taken is before it goes in front of the client. We work directly with agencies from the creative stage, run quick checks on the shortlist and say which names stand a real chance of registration. See Partnerships for how this works.
Costs
What it costs
Official fees are paid to the office (OSIM, EUIPO or WIPO), carry no VAT and may change. Your first consultation is free.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about trademark strategy
Is trademark registration advice free?
Yes, the first consultation is free and you're under no obligation. We discuss what you want to protect, in which Nice classes and in which territory, and give you an approximate cost for filing with OSIM or EUIPO. The availability search, the filing and the follow-up are paid services, with our fee quoted upfront and kept separate from the official fees.
Which is better, a word mark or a figurative mark?
A word mark protects the word itself, whatever the font or colour, so it usually gives a name the broadest protection. A figurative or combined mark protects the logo as it looks. If the name is weak on distinctiveness, the logo can help it get registered, but the protection you end up with is narrower. Many businesses start with the word mark and add the logo later.
What are Nice classes and how many do I need?
The Nice Classification sorts goods and services into 45 classes: 1 to 34 for goods, 35 to 45 for services. Every trademark application lists the classes you want protection in, and fees rise with the number of classes. We pick classes based on what you sell today and what you plan for the next few years, because after filing the list can only be narrowed, never extended.
Can I register a name that describes my product?
Usually not. OSIM and EUIPO refuse names that simply describe the product or one of its qualities, like "Fresh Bread" for a bakery. The exception is acquired distinctiveness: if you can prove with evidence that the public already links the name to your business, the mark can be accepted. It's possible, but it takes time and a solid file, so it's worth discussing before you file.
When does trademark protection start?
Protection runs from the date the application is filed with OSIM, EUIPO or WIPO, provided the mark is later registered. That's why it pays to file early, ideally before you launch publicly. If someone else files a similar mark for similar goods before you do, they normally take priority, even if you had been using the name for longer.
Related services
- Trademark availability searchWe search the OSIM, EUIPO and WIPO registers for identical and similar marks and give you a written opinion on the risks.
- Trademark registrationFiling and follow-up with OSIM, EUIPO and WIPO, through to the certificate. Fixed, published fees; official fees shown separately.
- IP contractsWe draft and review licences, assignments, coexistence agreements and copyright transfers, then record them with OSIM or EUIPO when needed.
Let’s talk about your trademark.
The first consultation is free. We’ll tell you honestly what can be protected, how and what it costs, before you pay anything.