OPPOSITION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Opposition may be submitted within 3 months from the publication of the European Union trademark application.

The opposition proceeding has a duration of about 12 months and it provides for a first “cooling off” phase in which the parties have the opportunity to reach an agreement and a second dispute phase in which the parties exchange observations to corroborate their arguments.

The proceeding concludes with the final ruling issued by the opposition board, which determines whether there is a likelihood of confusion between the trademarks. This ruling can be appealed against before the Appeal Board.