Overview
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), based in Alicante, Spain, manages the European Union trade mark (EUTM) and the registered EU design. Cross-border sellers use it for one job: a single electronic filing that covers 27 EU member states, then Brand Registry on Amazon.de / .fr / .it / .es / .nl, after a conflict check in eSearch plus and TMview. The official English homepage is euipo.europa.eu/en. Older catalog links to /bg were the Bulgarian UI, not the English hub.
This is not the European Patent Office (EPO grants invention patents) and not the UK IPO. The UK is outside an EUTM after Brexit — Amazon.co.uk needs a separate UKIPO right. Search is free. Filing is in euros, per class; unpaid fees within the deadline mean the application is not examined. Applicants outside the EEA usually need an EEA representative. EUIPO is not Amazon support: you still paste the number into Brand Registry yourself.
Private-label sellers treat an EUTM as one net for EU storefronts instead of four national filings in DE/FR/IT/ES. The trade-off is EU-wide opposition risk, and the UK as a separate file. If you only sell in the U.S. or Japan, do not pay Alicante for an EU store you do not run.
Core features and advantages
eSearch plus and TMview
eSearch plus searches EUIPO’s own trade marks, designs, owners, representatives, and bulletins. TMview (tmdn.org/tmview) brings together national EU offices, EUIPO, and many offices outside the EU — the interface has shown on the order of 143 million marks (the count moves as offices join). A seller’s minimum pass: set territory to the European Union, search the word, close spellings, and the target class, then confirm EUTM status in eSearch. TMclass maps the Harmonised Database so identifications match what examiners expect. Image search accepts a mark device. None of this is a legal clearance.
Filing an EUTM online
Applications go through the User Area official forms. The official fee must be paid within one month of EUIPO receiving the application, or examination does not start. For an individual mark filed electronically: €850 for the first class, €50 for the second, €150 for each class from the third (EUIPO fees page, checked 2026-09-06). Paper first class is €1,000. An EUTM lasts 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely. Pick goods from TMclass / the Harmonised Database where you can. Typical seller errors: assuming UK coverage, or adding retail-service classes you do not actually provide. EUIPO also registers EU designs (product appearance), a different right from an invention patent.
Fees, SMEs, and invoice scams
Fees are in euro and generally not refunded (a narrow same-day withdrawal exception is described in the Guidelines). EUIPO warns constantly: do not pay random “EU trade mark monitoring / certificate” invoices sent after publication. SME Fund vouchers exist in some years only — treat them as optional, not a list price. Customer care: customercare@euipo.europa.eu, +34 965 139 100.
Supported platforms
An EUTM covers the 27 EU member states, which is what you want for EU Amazon, EU eBay, and EU Shopify brands. It does not cover the United Kingdom, Switzerland, or Norway. Amazon Brand Registry accepts a pending or registered EUIPO mark for EU stores (confirm Amazon’s live list). U.S. and Japan stores still want USPTO / JPO. Nothing syncs into Seller Central. Designs use a separate EUIPO form and fee table.
Who it's for
- Solo / small teams selling in several EU Amazon stores: one EUTM is usually cheaper and cleaner than four national files.
- Mid-size brands unifying an EU house brand, watching oppositions, and calendaring 10-year renewals.
- Non-EEA sellers who must budget an EEA representative instead of filing the User Area alone.
- Skip it if you do not sell in the EU, or if you only need the UK (UKIPO).
Concrete use case: lock the brand name, search TMview for the EU territory in the target class (021 for housewares, for example), then file from Harmonised Database terms in the User Area and pay from €850 within a month. When the number exists, enroll EU Brand Registry. File UKIPO separately for .co.uk — do not assume the EUTM carries the UK.
Pricing and value
Search is free. Individual EUTM, electronic, from EUIPO’s fees page (checked 2026-09-06):
- First class: €850
- Second class: +€50 (two classes = €900, often the best official-fee value)
- Each class from the third: +€150
- Paper first class: €1,000
- Electronic renewal, first class: €850 (same class steps as filing)
- Opposition: €320
Official fees are not refunded. Representatives, translations, and opposition defense are extra. For a seller live on several EU Amazon stores, €850 for 27 countries usually beats four national filings; a Germany-only plan may be cheaper at the DPMA — compare live national fees. Confirm on EUIPO fees and payments.
Community feedback
Sellers treat EUIPO as the default official door for EU Brand Registry. The most repeated pitfall is thinking the EUTM includes the UK. The second is paying a fake monitoring invoice. TMview is faster than stitching national sites; likelihood of confusion still needs a lawyer, and identifications outside the Harmonised Database draw more objections. EUIPO customer care answers forms and payments, not registrability. Chinese-language agency blogs often quote stale fees; the live electronic first-class fee is €850, not an old “€900” rumour.
Competitive positioning
EUIPO’s product is one mark, 27 states. USPTO is U.S. federal only. JPO is Japan, with pronunciation search. EPO is invention patents, not trade marks. Commercial screens such as iP51 are a first pass and cannot file an EUTM. National offices (DPMA, INPI, and so on) fit a one-country plan. The UK is UKIPO.
Alternatives
- United States Patent and Trademark Office — Amazon.com Brand Registry via USPTO Trademark Search / Trademark Center.
- Japan Patent Office — JPO / J-PlatPat for Amazon.co.jp.
- iP51 trademark search — a commercial multi-country screen; official EU data remains eSearch / TMview.
Limitations
No UK. Non-EEA applicants usually need an EEA representative. Miss the one-month fee and the file does not proceed. Opposition can come from earlier rights in any member state. Search is not clearance. Scam invoices are common. Designs are a separate right. A granted EUTM does not auto-resolve every Amazon hijack.
Verdict
If you run a private-label brand across EU Amazon stores, screen on TMview, file an electronic EUTM per class, and enroll Brand Registry with the number. If you only need the UK, or only the U.S. or Japan, use those offices instead.
Next step: open EUIPO, search the brand and class in TMview / eSearch, then — if you will file — log into the User Area and pay against the current fee page within one month. Non-EEA sellers should appoint an EEA representative first.
Data notes
Rechecked 2026-09-06 against the EUIPO English homepage, eSearch plus, TMview, and the EUTM fees page (€850 / €50 / €150). website was corrected from /bg to /en. published (2024-03-15), monthlyVisits, domainRating, and authorityScore are catalog placeholders and unverified. The office was created as OHIM in 1994 and renamed EUIPO in 2016; the catalog date is not the founding day. SME Fund, pendency, and attorney fees must be checked at the time of filing.