European Union: Trademark

Trade mark registration offers businesses exclusive rights, legal protection, and strategic advantages—yet many overlook this cost-effective step. This guide examines the value of registered marks, the protection available for unregistered signs, and how EU subsidies can reduce registration costs for SMEs by up to 75%.

Counterfeiting, opportunistic trademark registrations, the appropriation of distinctive signs and evolution in local regulations represent growing risks for fashion brands. For this reason, the protection of IP, including trademark and design rights, has become a major strategic issue. 

Luxury brands are expanding beyond traditional product categories into wellness, hospitality, and experiential services, fundamentally transforming how trademark protection must adapt. As fashion houses open cafés, beauty brands operate spas, and heritage maisons launch wellness programs, the legal framework struggles to keep pace with ecosystem-based diversification that challenges conventional notions of brand boundaries and distinctiveness.