A trademark is protected only where it is registered, therefore if you plan to distribute your goods or services not only in Lithuania, it is recommended to also register your trademark in the countries where you plan to market them. The question then arises as to which method of trademark registration to choose: to register the trademark in each country of interest separately, to use the European Union trademark registration or to use the international trademark registration.

When to choose a national registration?

• when in individual countries you intend to use the trademark in their local languages, e.g. in Cyrillic or hieroglyphs;
• when you want to protect a trademark in a country that is not a member of the EU trademark or international trademark system;
• when you want to spread the risk across several countries due to a likelihood of getting  claims from other persons regarding the similarity of the trademark;
• when you do not plan (rapid) business growth;
• when the trademark will be used to designate different goods in different countries;
• when you aim for a faster registration;
• when the trademark will be used by different companies in different countries.

When to choose a EU trademark registration?

• In all cases, unless there is a significant risk of getting claims from other persons regarding the similarity of the trademark;
• When you plan to use the same trademark in the EU Member States;
• When your business endeavours concern at least several EU Member States;
• When you have created a truly unique trademark;
• When you aim for a cheaper and more efficient registration, which would be taken care of by a single representative.

When to choose an international trademark registration?

• When you plan to use the same trademark in all the countries you are planning to expand to;
• When you plan your activities in at least a few countries and plan to expand them;
• When you plan your activities not only in the EU Member States, e.g. Russia, Ukraine or the United States;
• When you are not sure which countries you will expand to in the future;
• When you aim for a cheaper and more efficient registration, to be taken care of by a single representative.

If you require advice, contact vilija.viesunaite@triniti.lt