A Community Trademark is protected in all member states of the European Union through a single and identical right. Its main advantage resides in the unified registration procedure and in the unique title resulting there from.

The registration procedure takes approximately 18 to 24 months, in absence of official notification or opposition, and can be summarized as follows:

- Preliminary and formal examination whether the requirements for obtaining a filing date have been complied with.

- Examination as to registrability per se, i.e. as to absolute grounds for refusal.

- Examination as to prior registrations and applications (novelty search) which could constitute a relative ground for refusal.

- Publication of the application for opposition purposes; such an opposition is possible within three months from publication.

- Notice of allowance.

- Registration.