What documents do I need to report a name or address change for my mark?
A mark registration is registered in the name of a specific proprietor at a specific address. If either changes — for example due to a change of address, a statutory name change, or a merger — this must be reported separately to the BOIP or EUIPO. Usually required is a recent extract from the Business Register showing the new name or address, the mark registration number, and in the case of a merger or division, often also the deed recording that change. Without that evidence, the register will not process the change.
The distinction from a transfer of the mark to another undertaking is important here. In a transfer, the proprietor changes: the mark passes from one undertaking to another, with a different company registration number. In a name or address change, the proprietor remains the same legal person; only the details under which it is registered change. Both types of change use a different form and require different documents, so it is worth determining in advance which one actually applies.
Why detail matters most here
The risk in this type of change lies not in the application itself, but in the accuracy of the evidence. The BOIP and EUIPO compare the new details literally with what appears in the extract or deed. A minor discrepancy — a different spelling of the street name, an outdated business name that does not quite match what is in the register, or a deed describing the change but not explicitly naming the mark — is often enough reason to reject the change or to request additional documents. This incurs no fee, but it does take time, and in the meantime there is a risk that official correspondence continues to go to the old address.
That last point is the real problem. The BOIP and EUIPO send messages about opposition, renewal, and any objections to the address recorded in the register, not to the address the proprietor thinks is correct. If that address is out of date, a message about an opposition period may simply not reach the proprietor. For the periods themselves, it makes no difference whether the post has arrived; they run once the register has sent the notification. Anyone who registers their mark through guided self-filing should therefore take an address change just as seriously as the application itself.
What to do in a merger or acquisition
In a merger, division, or acquisition, it is often not immediately clear whether it is a name change or a transfer. If the mark registration automatically passes to the merging party, it is typically a change of the existing proprietor. If the mark is instead separated out and placed with a different legal person within the group, it is a transfer. This distinction determines which form and documents are needed, and it is precisely the kind of question a mark attorney can help clarify if the situation is not straightforward — marcai.eu does not assess this, because we do not provide legal advice on a specific situation.
The fees that the BOIP or EUIPO charge for a change are transparently displayed on their own websites and are paid directly by the client, not through marcai.eu. What does run through the platform is monitoring: as long as a mark is being monitored with us, we signal renewal periods and similar applications, regardless of whether the address details have changed in the meantime — although it remains the responsibility of the proprietor to report that change to the register.
Are you unsure whether your situation requires a name change, an address change, or a full transfer? First check the free trade mark check to see where your registration currently stands, view how we tackle the conflict search and monitoring in detail, and read in the knowledge base with frequently asked questions more about the rest of your trade mark management.