Trademark registration certificate

The registration certificate is the document issued by the INPI or the EUIPO at the end of the trademark registration process — the counterpart of the certificate of registration issued by the USPTO.

Timing

• The INPI issues a registration certificate for a French trademark approximately five months after filing, provided there is no irregularity notice and no opposition.
• The EUIPO issues a registration certificate for a European Union trademark within approximately four months of the filing date, again absent any irregularity notice or opposition.

These timelines are notably faster than the typical USPTO route — largely because neither the INPI nor the EUIPO examines applications on relative grounds (prior marks) ex officio, and because no evidence of use is required at any stage.

Format

The EUIPO certificate is entirely dematerialized: it is delivered only as a digital file. The INPI also issues digital registration certificates.

An opposition filed within the applicable window — two months from publication in France, three months in the EU — delays or blocks issuance. See INPI opposition and EUIPO opposition.

See also: trademark registration, trademark filing, French trademark registration, EU trademark registration.

← All glossary terms