德國商標概要：

1、1990年10月3日，原東、西德(即民主德國和聯(lián)邦德國)實現(xiàn)了統(tǒng)一。根據(jù)同一天生效的有關(guān)德國商標和領(lǐng)土延伸到的過去國際注冊商標的統(tǒng)一條約第二部分的規(guī)定，自該條約生效后提交的商標申請應依照原西德的法律注冊并在整個德國生效。1990年10月3日之前原東西德的商標申請或領(lǐng)土延伸到西德的國際注冊仍由原機關(guān)分別處理并在原東西德的領(lǐng)土上分別保持效力而不相互延伸。

1991年9月2日通過并于當年年底生效的另一個法案規(guī)定，在1990年10月3日之前在原東西德取得并存在的所有工業(yè)產(chǎn)權(quán)自動延伸到整個德國。這一延伸不要求權(quán)利人提出自動發(fā)生。至此，原東德的商標法不復存在而完全由西德法律取而代之。

2、現(xiàn)行的德國商標法最初制訂于1968年，經(jīng)1979年和1987年兩次修改。1979年修改時增加了保護服務商標的內(nèi)容。商標法的實施細則是1986年修改生效的。

新的德國商標法于1995年1月1日生效。修改后的商標法包括;商標必須在審查后立即注冊。注冊商標將給予公告并且在3個月內(nèi)可以對該注冊商標提出異議。這條重要的法規(guī)使得商標所有人即使在商標尚處于被異議時也可以對侵權(quán)行為起訴。新的商標法還包括保護理標志的施行法規(guī)。

3、德國法律規(guī)定商標權(quán)的取得基于注冊。在德國，商品商標、服務商標和集體商標可以依法申請注冊。

4、德國采用的是商標注冊用商品和服務的國際分類。但是，申請注冊商標時，一個申請可以包括多個類別的商品或服務，只是申請人應當按類別的多少繳納規(guī)費。

5、目前，德國是《保護工業(yè)產(chǎn)權(quán)巴黎公約》、《商標國際注冊馬德里協(xié)定》、《商標注冊用商品和服務國際分類尼斯協(xié)定》和世界知識產(chǎn)權(quán)組織的成員國。德國于1995年12月20日認可《馬德里協(xié)定議定書》，該議定書于1996年4月1日在德國境內(nèi)生效。

6、 國家英文縮寫：DE。

申請人主體資格：任何自然人或法人可申請注冊商標。在德國沒有營業(yè)所的申請人只要在其設有營業(yè)所的國家接受德國的商標并且予以和其本國的商標相同的待遇時才能依法在德國申請商標保護。另外，德國專利局還可以要求外國的設備申請人提供在其設有營業(yè)所的國家已經(jīng)提出并取得設備注冊的證明。但這一要求將基于對等原則。除了國際公約中另有規(guī)定的外，德國不允許核準注冊未達到法定要求的商標申請。

申請所需文件：

1、商標圖樣。

2、商品和服務清單。

3、外國申請人還需提供原屬國商標注冊證副本，對給予德國公民特權(quán)的互惠國家公民無需認證。

官方回執(zhí)時間： 4周

注冊所需時間：4-9個月

德國商標有效期：10年，自注冊之日起計算。

商標異議期限：30天

連續(xù)不使用撤銷：2年

官方使用語言：英語

德國商標的續(xù)展：續(xù)展申請可以在期滿后2個月內(nèi)提交，在該期限后若還未繳納規(guī)費，將發(fā)出付費處罰的最后通牒;若在期滿6個月內(nèi)或最后通牒下達1個月后還未繳納續(xù)展費用的，注冊將被撤銷。

德國注冊程序詳解：

專利局將對申請文件的形式以及商標是否有注冊性進行嚴格的審查。但不對該商標之前是否存在相同或類似的注冊或申請進行審查。對商標的注冊性進行審查后，對于有注冊性的商標予以刊登商標公告。在公告期3個月內(nèi)，任何相同或相似商標的主持人或在先申請人都可以提出異議，由專利局作出裁定。

以下情況將不予注冊：1.申請注冊的商標與在先注冊商標相同，或指定的商品或服務相同。2. 申請注冊的商標與在先注冊商標相同或近似，或指定的商品或服務相同或近似而造成公眾聯(lián)想的。3.與在先注冊的馳名商標在不同類別商品或服務上申請相同或近似商標，這種注冊商標沒有合法理由的不公平使用將會給馳名商標的顯著性和知名度帶來損害的。

German trademark outline :

1. On October 3, 1990, the former East and West Germany ( Democratic Germany and Federal Germany ) achieved unity. According to the provisions of the second part of the United Treaty on German Trademarks and Territories Extension to the Past International Registered Trademarks which came into force on the same day, the trademark application submitted after the entry into force of the Treaty shall be registered in accordance with the laws of the former West Germany and shall enter into force throughout Germany. The trademark application or international registration of the Territory extending to West Germany prior to 3 October 1990 remains separately processed by the original authorities and remains in force on the Territory without mutual extension.

Another bill passed on September 2, 1991 and entered into force at the end of that year stipulated that all industrial property rights acquired and existing in East and West Germany before October 3, 1990 were automatically extended to the whole of Germany. This extension does not require the obligee to propose automatic occurrence. So far, the original East German trademark law no longer exists and completely replaced by the West German law.

2. The current German trademark law was first formulated in 1968, and was amended twice in 1979 and 1987. In 1979, the content of protecting service trademarks was added. The implementation details of the Trademark Law came into force in 1986.

The new German Trademark Law came into force on January 1, 1995. The revised trademark law includes : Trademark must be registered immediately after examination. The registered trademark will be announced and can be challenged within 3 months. This important regulation enables trademark owners to sue for infringement even if the trademark is still under objection.

3. German law provides that the acquisition of trademark rights is based on registration. In Germany, commodity trademarks, service trademarks and collective trademarks can apply for registration according to law.

( 4 ) Germany adopts the international classification of goods and services for trademark registration. However, when applying for a registered trademark, an application may include multiple categories of goods or services, but the applicant should pay the fees according to the number of categories.

5. Germany is currently a member of the Paris Convention on the Protection of Industrial Property Rights, the Madrid Agreement on International Registration of Trademarks, the Niss Agreement on the International Classification of Goods and Services for Trademark Registration and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Germany ratified the Madrid Protocol on December 20, 1995, which entered into force in Germany on April 1, 1996.

6. National English abbreviation : DE.

Qualification of applicant : Any natural or legal person may apply for a registered trademark. Applicants who do not have a place of business in Germany can apply for trademark protection in Germany according to law only if they accept German trademarks in the country where they have a place of business and give the same treatment as their own trademarks. In addition, the German Patent Office can also require foreign equipment applicants to provide a certificate that has been submitted and obtained equipment registration in the country where they have a business place. But this requirement will be based on the principle of reciprocity. Except as otherwise provided in international conventions, Germany is not permitted to approve applications for registration of trademarks that do not meet the statutory requirements.

Documents required for application :

1. Trademark pattern.

2. List of goods and services.

3. Foreign applicants are also required to provide a copy of the trademark registration certificate of the State of origin, which is not required to certify reciprocal national citizens who grant German citizenship privileges.

Official callback time : 4 weeks

Time required for registration : 4-9 months

Validity period of German trademark : 10 years, calculated from the date of registration.

Trademark objection period : 30 days

Continuous non-use cancellation : 2 years

Official language : English

The renewal of the German trademark : the application for renewal can be submitted within 2 months after the expiration of the period. If the fee has not been paid after that period, an ultimatum for payment punishment will be issued. If the renewal fee has not been paid within 6 months or one month after the ultimatum, the registration will be revoked.

Details of German registration procedure :

The Patent Office will conduct a rigorous review of the form of application documents and the registration of trademarks. However, the existence of the same or similar registration or application prior to the trademark is not examined. After examining the registration of trademarks, trademark announcements are published for registered trademarks. Within three months of the announcement period, any moderator or prior applicant of the same or similar trademark may raise objections and the Patent Office shall decide.

The following cases will not be registered : 1.The trademark applied for registration is the same as the prior registered trademark, or the specified goods or services are the same. 2.The trademark applied for registration is the same or similar to the prior registered trademark, or the specified goods or services are the same or similar to cause public association. 3. The unfair use of a registered trademark without lawful grounds would damage the visibility and visibility of a well-known trademark if it applies for the same or similar trademark in different categories of goods or services as a well-known trademark previously registered.