Practical guide

Filing a trademark at INPI

Filing a French trademark follows a well-marked path. Here are the main steps, from choosing the name to registration, and the points to watch before you start.

The filing steps

Choose and secure the sign

Pick a distinctive name (neither descriptive nor misleading) and run a prior-rights search to spot close marks before going further.

Define goods and services

Describe your activity precisely and map it to the NICE classes. The chosen scope sets the extent of protection.

File online at inpi.fr

Filing is done on the INPI portal. You enter the applicant, the sign, the classes and pay the official fees.

Examination and publication

INPI checks the formalities and publishes the application. A window then opens during which third parties may oppose.

Registration

Absent any obstacle, the mark is registered for 10 years, renewable indefinitely. You receive the certificate.

Points to watch

INPI does not check availability

Examination covers formalities and absolute grounds (distinctiveness, lawfulness), not the existence of earlier marks. The prior-rights search remains your responsibility.

The cost goes well beyond the fee

In case of opposition, defending a file can mean significant costs — not to mention lost time and rebranding. Anticipating the risk is far cheaper.

A professional can help

A trademark attorney secures the wording, classes and strategy. This is especially valuable as soon as the stakes are significant.

Where the pre-diagnostic fits

MarqueCheck sits at step 01: before committing to a filing, you quickly check whether your name risks a conflict with an existing mark. It is the first filter to avoid investing in a fragile sign. To dig deeper, see ourprior-rights pageand thedetailed guide.

Check before you file

30 seconds to know whether your name is worth taking all the way to filing. Free, no sign-up.

Check my trademark

Informational content based on the French filing procedure. It is not legal advice nor a guarantee of availability. Refer to INPI for current official amounts and timelines.