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Situation 04Trade marks before a launch

We are launching a name or a product

A name is cleared market by market. An EU trade mark covers the 27 member states and stops at the Swiss and British borders.

In short

At stake
The brand, and everything spent on launching it.
The exposure
The owner of an earlier mark can stop the name after the packaging, the domains and the campaign are paid for. An EU trade mark covers 27 countries. Switzerland and the United Kingdom are not among them.
What Lexaero delivers
A clearance report for every market you will sell in, alternatives where a name is blocked, and the filing prepared.
First step
A call, then the name and the list of markets, under a non-disclosure agreement if you want one.

Country by country

General orientation as at October 2026. It is not legal advice, and what applies to you turns on facts this page cannot see.

Brand and trade marks

In the Netherlands
There is no Dutch national trade mark. Protection comes from a Benelux registration or from an EU trade mark.
In the EU
One EU trade mark covers every member state. It does not cover Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
In Switzerland
A trade mark registered at home or in the EU does not cover Switzerland. A Swiss registration is needed, filed at the Swiss IPI or obtained by extending an existing mark through the Madrid System.
In the United Kingdom
EU trade marks filed since 2021 do not cover the United Kingdom, and those registered before then continue there only as separate UK rights. A new mark needs its own UK registration, filed directly or through the Madrid System.
In the Middle East
There is no single registration for the region. Each state grants its own, and classification and translation requirements differ. Every Gulf Cooperation Council state except Kuwait can be designated through the Madrid System, Saudi Arabia since 8 October 2026.

For the detail between two particular countries, set your route on the home page. Lexaero does not advise on tax, customs, banking or work permits, and does not broker investments. Where they matter, it says so and works with the adviser you choose.

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Next step

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