Not approved
Unfortunately, even a tiny one is not acceptable. The European trademark office, EUIPO, is uncompromising. In November last year, EUIPO refused to register Van Gheluwe’s new logo as a trademark. According to EUIPO, the public could associate the mark with the European Union and assume that the services originate from or are endorsed by the EU. You can only obtain registration if you can demonstrate that the European Union has given its consent for the trademark registration—which, of course, is not the case here.
Stay away from the flag
It’s a well-known lesson in trademark registration: flags are forbidden—whether it’s a large, prominent flag or a tiny one. Such marks are firmly refused. And it’s not just identical copies of the flag that are problematic. Below are some Benelux trademarks that were refused registration due to their similarity to the European flag.
No little stars!
Using stars—especially in combination with imagery or wording that refers to Europe—often leads to problems. So steer clear from the European flag.
Bas Kist
Photo by Antoine Schibler on Unsplash
