EUIPO vs DPMA
EU trademark or German trademark? A practical comparison for founders and brand owners.
Founder & Developer of markencheck.ai
EUIPO: EU-Wide Trademarks
• Authority: EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) is the central EU agency for trademarks. • Territory: A registered EU trademark automatically applies in all EU member states (e.g. Germany, France, Italy, etc.). • Language(s): Filing is usually in one of the EU official languages; the application is then translated into English, French and German as standard. Court cases may follow in the original language or translated. • Register: The EU trademark register contains only EU trademarks. eSearch plus is available for research (see Guide 2). It is publicly accessible and free of charge. • Fees: Relatively high (around €850 for 1 class, as of 2026), but covers all of Europe. Full breakdown of the office fees: EU trademark fees 2026.
DPMA: German Trademarks
• Authority: DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office) is the national office for trademarks in Germany. It is the largest national patent and trademark office in Europe. • Territory: A trademark registered with the DPMA applies only in Germany. Other countries are not affected. • Language: Filing is in German. • Register: The DPMAregister is the official German trademark register. You can search for German word and figurative marks there. As with EUIPO, the online search is free. • Fees: Lower than EUIPO (one class e.g. ~€300), but applies nationally only.
Comparison: EUIPO vs. DPMA
Territory: EUIPO: All EU states (27 countries) DPMA: Germany only Protection scope: EUIPO: Trademarks (word, figurative, sound, etc.) DPMA: Trademarks (word, figurative, sound, etc.) Filing classes: EUIPO: International Nice classes (34+11) DPMA: International Nice classes (34+11) Filing language: EUIPO: German/English/French (choice) DPMA: German Cost (approx.): EUIPO: approx. €850 (for 1 class) DPMA: approx. €300 (for 1 class) Validity period: EUIPO: 10 years (renewable for 10 years each) DPMA: 10 years (renewable for 10 years each) Official register: EUIPO: EUIPO Register (online: eSearch plus + TMview) DPMA: DPMAregister (online search) Searching for similar marks: EUIPO: TMview finds identical and similar marks across EU offices – rule-based, without relevance ranking DPMA: DPMAregister finds matching elements but offers no similarity search Both EUIPO and DPMA protect a word mark in all common typefaces and colors.
When Should You Check Both Registers?
• Broad protection vs. budget: An EU trademark protects across all EU states but is more expensive. If you only want to serve the German market, a national filing may suffice initially. For international ambitions, an EU registration is recommended. For what attorney fees are typical on top of the official fees, see the comparison file a trademark yourself or with a lawyer. • Conflict check: Before an EU filing, it’s worth searching the DPMA register for collisions as well (and vice versa). Even if you only want to start in Germany, a European competitor could cause problems later. EUIPO + DPMA cover the majority of relevant trademarks in Europe. If a collision is overlooked, a trademark cease-and-desist letter may follow later. • Examples: You might use a name in Germany (DPMA), but a similar EU trademark in France could oppose it – or the other way around. A preliminary search should therefore include both registers. Next step: start the trademark check and see whether your name is already registered in the EU register. markencheck.ai searches the EUIPO register and gives you an instant AI score plus a list of phonetically and semantically similar marks — without hours of manual searching across two separate registers.
Frequently Asked Questions
EUIPO or DPMA, which is cheaper?
The DPMA filing is cheaper, around €290 electronically including up to three classes. An EU trademark at the EUIPO starts at €850 for one class, but protects you in all 27 EU states instead of Germany alone. The full fee breakdown is in the EU trademark fees 2026.
Is a German trademark enough, or do I need an EU trademark?
If you only serve the German market, a DPMA mark may be enough at first. If you plan EU-wide sales or expansion, the EU trademark makes more sense because it protects across all member states in one step. A national mark cannot be upgraded to EU-wide later, that would be a new application.
Does an EU trademark automatically protect in Germany?
Yes. A registered EU trademark automatically applies in all 27 EU states, Germany included. A DPMA mark, by contrast, is valid nationally in Germany only.
Should I check both registers before filing?
It is worth it. Even if you only start in Germany, an older EU mark can stand in your way, and vice versa. A preliminary search in both registers lowers the collision risk. The EUIPO trademark search guide shows how to search the EU register.
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Related Guides
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