Trademark Law:
Protect, Use, and Enforce Your Trademark

Creating a trademark is a strategic step. Protecting it is even more critical.
Name, logo, slogan: your trademark is a key asset. It embodies your identity, reputation, and positioning. Without proper protection, it may be copied, challenged, or used by third parties.
LAZULI Law Firm supports companies, executives, and creators at every stage: filing, strategy, use, and enforcement of trademarks, in France, the EU, and internationally.

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The name “LAZULI” refers to lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone symbolizing value and durability.
This name reflects a vision of intellectual property: a creation is not merely an idea, but a value that is built, preserved, and defended over time.

Lazuli Law Firm’s Areas of Practice

Trademark Law

Copyright & NEIGHBOURING Rights

Copyright & AI

Influencer Law & E-reputation

Image Rights & Privacy

Infringement & Unfair Competition

Designs

Domain Names

Other Areas of Expertise

Why register a trademark?

Registering a trademark grants you exclusive rights to use a name or distinctive sign.

Without registration:

  • No strong legal protection
  • Difficulty taking action against a competitor
  • Risk of having to change your name

With a registered trademark:

  • You secure your business
  • You enhance your company’s value
  • You can take action for infringement

How does trademark registration work?

Trademark registration is carried out before an official office:

  • INPI (France)
  • EUIPO (European Union)
  • WIPO (international)

Key steps:

  1. Availability check (prior rights searches)
  2. Definition of classes and drafting of the specification (goods/services)
  3. Filing of the trademark
  4. Examination by the office
  5. Publication and possible opposition proceedings
  6. Registration

An error at this stage can weaken your entire protection strategy.

PRIOR RIghts Searches: A Crucial Step

Before filing, it is essential to verify that the trademark is available.

This helps to:

  • Avoid refusal
  • Anticipate oppositions
  • Limit the risk of disputes

A simple Google search, or even a search in official databases, is not sufficient. A thorough legal analysis is required.

What protection for your trademark?

A trademark can take different forms:

  • Word mark (name)
  • Figurative mark (logo without wording)
  • Complex mark (brand name with a specific design)
  • Sound mark (jingle, audio signature)
  • Multimedia mark (animated logo with sound)
  • Three-dimensional mark (packaging, product)
  • Etc.

The choice depends on your business, your market, and your objectives.

French, European or International Trademark?

French trademark (INPI)

  • Protection in France
  • Suitable for local activities

European trademark (EUIPO)

  • Protection across the entire European Union
  • A single procedure covering all 27 Member States

International trademark (WIPO)

  • Extension to multiple countries from a base registration (nearly 120 countries and regional groups available)
  • Tailored strategy

The choice depends on your current and future development strategy.

Oppositions, NULLITY and revocation actions

There are several types of procedure to obtain the rejection or cancellation of a third party’s trademark, whether before the French office (INPI) or before the EU office (EUIPO). Here are the main ones:

Oppositions

  • When the trademark is not registered, within two months (INPI) or three months (EUIPO) of its publication
  • It is necessary to hold a prior right and demonstrate a likelihood of confusion
  • The procedure takes between 6 months and 1 year (INPI), between 1 and 2 years (EUIPO)

Cancellation actions for prior rights

  • When the opposition period has expired and the trademark is registered.
  • Within five years from the moment the applicant became aware of the trademark (or should have become aware of it)
  • Same criteria as for opposition

Revocation actions for non-use

  • This involves asking the office to cancel, in whole or in part, a trademark that is not being used by its owner
  • There is no time limit for taking action
  • It is not necessary to hold a prior right

To learn more about the actions available before the INPI, read this article (in French).

HAS A THIRD PARTY REGISTERED YOUR TRADEMARK IN BAD FAITH?

It is not uncommon for third parties (such as former partners or unfair competitors) to register your trademark in their own name in order to block you.

The firm assists you in resolving the situation:

  • Through a cease-and-desist letter
  • Through a cancellation action based on bad faith
  • Through legal action to claim ownership of the trademark

The appropriate course of action depends on your specific situation, your resources, and your objectives, but all aim to restore your rights.

EXAMPLES OF CASES HANDLED

Over the past few years, Jérémie LEROY-RINGUET has notably:

  • Obtained the revocation of several trademarks not used by their owners, for example in the fields of furniture and of food products
  • reorganized a group’s trademark portfolio by transferring trademarks to the holding company and licensing them to subsidiaries
  • assisted clients with applications to cancel trademarks filed in bad faith by unscrupulous competitors
  • conducted numerous prior art searches, notably in the fields of industry, digital economy and fashion
  • negotiated the withdrawal of several oppositions on behalf of his clients

LAZULI has extensive experience in trademark management (limitations, renewals, assignments, pledges, recordals, oppositions, etc.).

Support from Lazuli

LAZULI assists at every stage:

  • Filing strategy
  • Prior rights searches
  • Trademark filing (France, EU, international)
  • Management of opposition proceedings, invalidity and revocation actions, including actions based on bad faith
  • Litigation: seizure of evidence (saisie-contrefaçon), preliminary injunctions in infringement matters, actions on the merits
  • Drafting of agreements (licensing, assignment, coexistence agreements, etc.)

Objective: secure your trademark and support your growth.

Would you like to register or protect your trademark?

Contact Lazuli

FAQ – Trademark Law

Yes. Without registration, you do not benefit from strong legal protection.

The cost depends on the number of classes and the territory. Official fees are added to legal fees.

A trademark is protected for 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely.

Yes, but a mistake can compromise your protection and may lead to paying filing fees twice. Legal support helps avoid risks and control costs.

It may be possible to adjust the strategy or respond to objections, depending on the situation.

Not directly. A comprehensive strategy is recommended.

Yes. A trademark that is not used may be revoked upon request by any third party through revocation proceedings.

A trademark protects a registered sign that identifies the origin of the goods or services it covers. A trade name identifies a company.
A trademark and a trade name may be identical, but a company may have only one trade name and several trademarks.