Trademark Registration in 2026

Imagine that you have been building your business for years. You came up with a name for it that evolved into a brand loved by your customers. You created a unique logo that you trust so much that it became the sign under which you promote your products or services.

You invested thousands of euros in brand identity and marketing to increase awareness of your brand and your business. People, especially your customers, know you by these signs.

And then one day you find out that an almost identical sign—the name of your brand—has started being used by another company for its business purposes. The brand name is identical to yours, the logo is one shade lighter and has one more line in its shape, but that does not matter: the unwanted result has arrived—customers start confusing you with them, and your hard-earned reputation suffers. And you feel that there is nothing you can do about it.

It is precisely at this point that many entrepreneurs realize that a brand is not just a name. That your logo is not just a picture, your mission statement is not merely a nice sentence whose creation was recommended to you by a marketing agency, and that specific name of your product is not merely a designation for distinguishing it from other products.

It is your identity, value, customer trust, and often one of the most valuable assets of the entire company.

To avoid losing this value, there is a simple solution:  register a trademark.

A trademark is your “insurance policy” against the parasitic use, copying, and misuse by others. Upon registration, you acquire  the exclusive right to use  your brand, within the meaning of the applicable legislation, for specific goods or services. In other words, if your brand (sign) is registered as a trademark, only you decide who may profit from the name you have built and how.

Register a trademark: How to protect your name, logo, or product or service brand?

In this article, you will learn everything essential:

• What exactly a trademark is and what types we know
• Where you can register a trademark and for which territory the trademark registration is valid (Slovakia, the EU, the world)
• How to use the reimbursement scheme to recover part of the fee paid for a trademark application
• Why registering a trademark for your brand is a strategic investment and why it constitutes a business asset

If you want to know even more, click on the relevant point:

• How the entire trademark registration process works, step by step
• Common mistakes that cause entrepreneurs to lose their brand

What is a trademark?

A trademark is any sign capable of  distinguishing your goods and/or services  from the products and/or services of competitors. We also call this distinctiveness. However, it must be a sign that is capable of registration, meaning a sign that the law “allows” to be registered as a trademark.

A key factor in trademark registration is the assessment of your sign (brand, logo, slogan):

• whether the sign is capable of being entered in the trademark register and whether it can constitute a trademark
• whether the sign is excluded from registrable signs and whether there are grounds for refusing its registration or for its possible declaration of invalidity after registration
• what type of trademark you wish to register (categorization)
• whether an earlier registered trademark exists for a sign identical or similar to yours
• which goods and/or services will fall within the scope of protection afforded by the trademark
• which territory you plan to cover with protection, meaning the territory in which trademark protection for your sign should “operate.”

Great care must be taken during the preparation of a trademark registration application regarding the possibility of the application being refused and its protection under trademark regulations thereby being denied. The most common reasons for refusing trademark registration have been summarized in this article (just click).

By registering a trademark with the relevant office, you obtain officially confirmed protection under the applicable legislation relating to that trademark. This means that if someone else were to start using your brand, or a brand similar to yours, without authorization, you can effectively defend yourself against it.

A trademark registration is valid for 10 years, and by renewing it, you can protect it practically indefinitely.

What types of trademarks exist?

The law allows various forms of signs to be protected—as a word, image, or slogan (mission statement). The type of trademark, which may be registered, also depends (in layman’s terms) on the registration office and the legal regulations governing it.

The following types of trademarks are the most common:

• Word trademark:The brand name itself (e.g. “IKEA”, “SKYLEX”, “NIKE”, “Luis Vuitton” or “Valentino”)
• Figurative trademark:  A logo or graphic symbol (e.g. Apple’s bitten apple, the letter C and the inverted letter C in the Chanel logo)
• Combined trademark:A combination of the name and logo

However, there are also many other types, depending on the regulations governing them, for example:

• Three-dimensional trademark: this is a graphic representation of the shape of a product or its packaging, or a photographic reproduction (e.g. a Coca-Cola bottle)
• Position trademark: captures the specific way in which the designation is positioned on a product
• Pattern trademark: ideal for fashion brands, typically the LV of Louis Vuitton on fabric
• Colour trademark: A specific colour or combination of colours (e.g. Milka purple)
• Sound trademark: A jingle or audio signature (e.g. Intel’s audio logo)
• Motion trademark: records the movement or change in position of an element in motion
• Multimedia trademark: a combination of sound and image
• Hologram trademark: formed by holographic elements.

Now pay attention:

For trademarks, the following applies – if you have a registered figurative trademark that also contains a word element (e.g. your company name), this does not automatically mean that your company name is protected – for that, you need a word trademark or a combined trademark.

When registering a trademark, it is not enough to simply say that you are protecting your name. You must define precisely for the authority  which specific goods and/or services  the protection is to apply to.

And this is precisely the purpose served by the international system of goods and services known as the  Nice Classification.

What is the Nice Classification?

A universal harmonized catalogue that classifies all possible products and activities (goods and services) into 45 official categories (classes).

These 45 classes are clearly divided into two main groups:

• goods (classes 1–34): This includes everything that can be physically touched – from clothing and cosmetics to software and food.
• services (classes 35–45): This includes all activities you provide, such as marketing, transport, accommodation or education.

Categorizing the protection and correctly classifying goods and services for your registration is crucial for proper trademark protection. Seek advice from our specialists in the field of trademark registration. It is not always necessary to adhere only to the harmonized wording. Let us provide you with qualified advice and prepare a trademark registration application proposal.

What territory does your trademark apply to and how much does it cost

One of the most important things you need to know is that trademark protection is  territorial.

It applies only to the territory for which you register it. A Slovak trademark registered for the territory of the Slovak Republic will not simply protect you in Germany. Therefore, carefully consider where you operate and where you plan to grow – for the purposes of expansion abroad and the potential entry of a strategic investor the question of resolving the possibility of using the designation without problems in foreign markets is often one of the most important.

Slovakia – national trademark

The application is filed with the  Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic (IPO SR)  and protection applies  exclusively within Slovakia.

• When is it suitable?  When you primarily operate in the domestic market or want to test a new name first. Ideal for local cafés, agencies or sole traders.
• How much does it cost?  The basic fee is  170 €, which covers protection in up to  three classes  of goods or services. It is the most financially affordable option.
• Advantages and disadvantages:  The biggest advantage is the low price. The disadvantage is that as soon as you cross the borders with your business, your protection ends (something like the fame of a Slovak actress abroad, as Mrs Zdena Studenková once said, and no – a Slovak trademark will not protect your mark even in Hainburg 😊).

Example:  It would be suitable for a café in Žilina or a local marketing agency whose clients are all from Slovakia.

European Union – EU trademark (EU TM)

You file the application with the  European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). With a single registration, you obtain protection  in all 27 EU Member States at once.

• When is it suitable?  If you have an e-shop, sell abroad or plan to expand into the European market.
• How much does it cost?The basic fee is  850 EUR  for one class, +50 EUR for the second and +150 EUR for the third class.
• Advantages and disadvantages: Advantage – you cover 27 EU countries at once. There are fewer requirements regarding registrability. For a good price (with a subsidy), you gain access to a huge market. Disadvantage: you do not cover countries outside the EU – if you want to cover, for example, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, you must also use another model (national or WIPO). A disadvantage is that if your application encounters a problem in even one country (e.g. an identical or similar registered trademark in the same segment), it will be refused for the entire EU. However, it can be converted into national applications.

Example: An e-shop selling clothing to the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland clearly needs to cover the entire EU so that its owners can be confident in the protection and territorial coverage that are so important to them.

International registration – when you are targeting markets beyond Europe (WIPO)

This is not one trademark for the whole world, but a system administered by the  World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where you select the countries you are interested in within a single application (e.g. the USA, Switzerland, China, the UK).

• When is it suitable?  When your business is targeting markets outside the European Union, even just one country.
• How much does it cost?  The price is variable. It consists of a basic fee and additional fees for each selected country. It can be a very suitable complement to an EU TM or a national trademark – in fact, it must be based on one of them.
• Advantages and disadvantages:  It simplifies the management of trademarks in multiple countries. The disadvantage is the higher cost and the fact that for the first five years, your international protection depends on the fate of your original (Slovak or EU) trademark – but this need not be an obstacle if you obtain qualified advice.

Example: A Slovak software company that already has a registered EU trademark (EU TM) wants to enter the US and UK markets. It will use the EU TM as its base and apply through WIPO to extend protection to the USA and the UK.

SME FUND

Important notice for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): 

Through the SME Fund grant programme, you can get back up to a certain percentage % of the registration fee, up to the maximum amount set by the SME Fund for each year. However, this opportunity is time-limited and is available only under the conditions announced for each relevant grant period, so it is worth acting quickly.

This is by no means an insignificant amount – in 2024, the refund was 75%, up to a maximum of 1 000 EUR; in 2025, the refund was 75%, up to a maximum of 700 EUR.

A trademark as a strategic investment and asset of your business

A trademark is not merely a tool for defending against competitors – it is a valuable intangible asset that you can use to increase the value of your company and even secure financing. A trademark can be licensed for the benefit of third parties. A trademark is also a very important and scrutinized aspect when selling a company, acquiring a business or bringing an investor into it. Your strategic partners – whether future shareholders of the company or its purchasers – will always check that your company has the right to use its mark (name, slogan or logo).

Trademark: an intangible asset with real value

Your brand has a specific and quantifiable financial value. A properly registered trademark becomes an official part of your company's assets.

• Accounting perspective:Legislation classifies a trademark as  a long-term intangible asset. This means that it appears on your balance sheet, has an accounting value and can be depreciated, thereby affecting the tax base.
• Transferability: You can sell it, purchase it, license its use and generate income from it, or contribute it as a non-cash contribution to another company.

Using a trademark for the benefit of a bank

One of the most significant, yet often overlooked, benefits is the possibility of using a trademark as loan collateral. The law allows a trademark to be pledged for the benefit of a bank or another creditor (external financing through private capital from investors who, for example, do not want to enter the company directly or want to do so later).

For a bank that conducts its own in-depth review when approving a loan (due diligence), a strong brand represents real value that reduces its risk.

For you, this may mean:

• Easier access to financing,
• More favorable loan terms (there will be no need to pledge other assets),
• Increased credibility of your company in the eyes of financial institutions in terms of the security of providing the loan.

The more your brand is well-known a protected, the more its market value grows.

Why is cooperation with experts essential for these purposes?

For a trademark to serve as a fully-fledged asset, its legal status must be flawless. Any uncertainty can drastically reduce the value of the mark as well as the trademark itself, or completely undermine its value as collateral.

Trademark registration is not just a shield, but also an active tool for the growth of your company. Protect what is yours. Register your trademark with us.

 

If you are looking for a way to harness the potential of your brand and turn it into a successful asset, do not hesitate to contact us.
JUDr. Zuzana Skýpalová: skypalova@skylex.sk

Or book a consultation at https://cal.com/skylex

Article authors: JUDr. Zuzana Skýpalová, Nina Balažovjechová