What does it cost to register a trade mark?

Official fees payable to the Office and an optional service fee for guidance

The costs of a mark registration essentially consist of two separate items: the official fee that the BOIP or the EUIPO itself charges for processing and registering the mark, and, if chosen, a service fee for guidance in preparing and filing the application. The fee is the amount paid directly to the Office — the BOIP for a Benelux mark, the EUIPO for a European Union mark — and that amount is clearly set out in the fee schedule that each of the two Offices publishes itself. The entrepreneur pays this fee directly to the Office; it never goes through an intermediary.

The number of classes from the Nice Classification included in the application affects the level of that fee: more classes generally means a higher fee, and how many classes are needed depends on the goods or services for which protection is sought. In addition to the one-off fee for the registration itself, there may be a recurring cost for those who wish to have their mark monitored after registration — for example to be notified in time if a similar mark is applied for, or to avoid missing the renewal deadline. This is an optional addition to the mandatory fee, not a replacement for it.

The basis for this cost structure

The fact that a mark registration consists of an official fee is established in the fee schedules of the BOIP and the EUIPO themselves: both Offices publish the current amounts per type of mark and per number of classes. Because these schedules may change periodically, it is advisable to consult the schedule of the relevant Office itself for a specific amount rather than relying on a figure mentioned elsewhere.