Switzerland, Global Trademark GO - Introduction to Swiss Trademark Application

In Switzerland, any graphics, words (such as Victorinox), letter combinations (such as ABB), number combinations (such as 501), three-dimensional forms (such as the Mercedes star), business slogans (such as "Cats will buy whiskey"), Sound (such as Ricola advertising song), etc. and combinations of these elements, apply for word trademarks, graphic trademarks, joint trademarks, color trademarks, three-dimensional trademarks, sound trademarks, position trademarks, sports trademarks, hologram trademarks, etc. In Switzerland, you can apply for a trademark in multiple categories.

1. Trademark authority:

• Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, IGE/IPI
• Website: Trade marks - Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (ige.ch)
• Trademark search: Prüfungshilfe (ige.ch); Swissreg - Institute for Intellectual Property

2. How to apply for trademark registration:

• Electronic online submission, email submission, mailing

3. Trademark registration application language:

• English/French/German

4. Documents required for trademark registration application:

• Applicant information
• Trademark pattern
• List of goods and/or services for which the trademark is used
• Pay relevant fees
• power of attorney
• Priority document and its English/German/Italian/French translation

5. Swiss trademark registration application process:

• IPI only conducts an absolute review on trademark registration applications and does not conduct a relative two-point review. Therefore, it will not review whether the applied trademark already exists in the same or similar form. If a mark conflicts with a registered mark, the mark may be revoked or subject to civil or criminal proceedings at a later date. Therefore, Swiss Trademark Registration strongly recommends conducting a search before applying to register a trademark. IPI's formal review of trademark applications includes inaccuracies in the designated goods and service classification list, or insufficient description of the trademark, which will then be announced on www.swissreg.ch, and the date of announcement is the authorization date. The substantive review includes: the trademark must not be descriptive; it must not contain any information about the nature, quality, type, manufacturing location, destination or price of the goods; it must not mislead the characteristics of the product or service; it must not violate relevant laws, public order and good customs, etc. .
• Switzerland is a multilingual country, and IPI will review trademark characters based on the three national languages and English.

6. Documents required for trademark change/transfer:

• Name/address change information
• power of attorney
• transfer agreement
• Trademark registration certificate

7. Trademark cancellation

• If a registered trademark has not been used for five consecutive years, anyone can request for cancellation of the published trademark.

8. Trademark objections

• Anyone can file an objection request against the announced trademark within 90 working days from the date of trademark announcement.

9. Authorization, validity period and trademark renewal

• IPI does not charge trademark licensing official fees. A registered trademark is protected for 10 years from the date of trademark application. A renewal request can be made within 6 months before the expiration date, or within a 6-month grace period after expiration, but a late fee is required. Trademarks can be renewed indefinitely.

10. Average time for trademark authorization

• If the registration goes smoothly, the average time for trademark registration in Switzerland is 4-8 months. If a request for accelerated examination is made, the trademark registration can be obtained within one month, but an accelerated examination fee must be paid.

11. Other matters needing attention

• Since July 1, 2014, the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement has officially come into effect. Therefore, there has been a significant increase in trademark registration applications from Chinese companies in textiles, raw materials, furniture, toys and other labor-intensive light industrial products, as well as mechanical and electrical products.
• Although IPI only conducts trademark review for absolute reasons, the review standards are relatively strict. Switzerland may reject a trademark application on the basis that the trademark may be misleading under the country's Federal Law for the Protection of Trademarks and Designations of Origin.