How we work on disputes
A trademark dispute is decided under the law of one country, by its office or its courts. Rules, deadlines and procedures differ from country to country, and so does who may act for you. We do not carry out disputes ourselves. We work with partners around the world who handle them in their own countries, and we bring you and the right partner together.
Deadlines in disputes are often short. If you have received a notice, write to us as soon as you can.
Typical matters
What is possible depends on the country. Partners can generally help with:
- An opposition against your application
- An opposition against someone else's application that comes too close to your mark
- Cancellation, invalidity or revocation actions, including for bad faith or for non-use
- A domain name that copies your mark: see domain name disputes
- Defending your registration against such an action
- An appeal against a refusal by an office
- Cases before a court, where a matter goes that far
How it works
- Tell us what happenedSend us the notice or the details, your mark and the country. If there is a deadline, tell us at once.
- We look at itWe read the documents, find the deadline, and explain in plain language what is at stake and what your options are.
- We arrange a partnerIf the matter has to be handled in the country concerned, we bring in one of our partners there and give them your file.
- The partner handles the matterThe partner does the dispute work under the local rules. We coordinate, so you do not have to find, brief and manage someone abroad.
- You decideYou receive a written quote before the work starts, and nothing begins without your approval.
A dispute can end either way. The office or the court decides, so we cannot promise an outcome, and neither can anyone else.
Common questions
Do you handle the dispute yourselves?
No. We arrange it through partners who handle disputes in their own countries, and we coordinate the matter for you. The partner does the dispute work under the local rules.
How soon should I contact you?
As soon as you receive a notice, or learn of a filing you want to act on. Deadlines in disputes can be short, and a missed deadline cannot always be repaired.
Which countries can you cover?
Our partners work in many countries. Tell us the country and we say whether we can arrange it.
What does it cost?
We send you a written quote before any work starts, and nothing begins without your approval. The amount depends on the country and the matter.
Can you tell me my chances?
We give you our view and say how sure we are, as in any trademark matter. We cannot promise an outcome. The office or the court decides.
What if an opposition is filed against my own application?
A first reply to an objection or an opposition against an application we filed is quoted separately, see charged only if it happens. If it turns into a contested case, we can arrange a partner in that country.
Do you also handle domain names?
Yes, in the same way. If a domain name copies your trademark, we can arrange a complaint through a partner. See domain name disputes.
What if an office has only raised an objection?
That is not yet a dispute. A first reply to an objection is something we prepare ourselves, see office action response.
