When an Amazon seller decides to protect a brand, the question comes up quickly: register only in Spain or directly in the European Union? The answer depends on where you sell, how much you want to invest and how much risk you accept.
Spanish trademark (OEPM)
- Protects the name in Spain.
- Filed with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.
- The cheapest and simplest option.
- Enough if your sales are concentrated in Spain or you are starting out.
European Union trademark (EUIPO)
- One registration that can cover the EU member states.
- Filed with the EUIPO and fees are higher.
- It is unitary: a successful opposition in one country can affect the whole application.
- Fits better if you sell with FBA Pan-EU or across several European Amazon stores.
How to decide
A practical rule: if you mostly sell on Amazon.es today, start with a Spanish mark and expand later; if you already store and sell in several countries or your product is easy to copy, an EU mark protects better. In both cases, check earlier marks before paying fees: an opposition can cost more than the registration.
If you sell outside the EU
For other countries there is the international Madrid system, which starts from a base mark and extends protection to the countries you choose. It is more complex and should be studied case by case.
What Amazon asks for
Brand Registry accepts marks from several offices, but requires a word mark or a figurative mark with text that covers your products’ class. We explain it in trademark for Amazon Brand Registry.
FAQ
How long does each take? It depends on the office and whether there are oppositions; in Spain people usually talk about several months.
Can I start in Spain and expand to the EU? Yes, though each application is filed separately and priority deadlines should be planned.
Who handles the process? Data Biz handles trademark filing in Spain from €70: trademark registration in Spain.
This guide is informational and does not replace advice from an industrial property attorney; official fees and timelines change, check them before deciding.
Checklist before filing
- Name chosen and spelling variants checked.
- Search of earlier marks in the Spanish office database and, if you sell in Europe, the EUIPO database.
- Nice classes defined for what you sell today and what you will sell in the next few years.
- Owner decided: an individual or the company that sells on Amazon, which should match the seller account.
- Final logo, if you will file a figurative or combined mark, with legible text.
- Budget for the official fee per class and for possible oppositions.
An illustrative example
Imagine a seller of kitchen accessories on Amazon.es through its own company. A sensible route is to file the name as a word mark in the company’s name, in the class that matches its products, and then apply for Brand Registry. If within six months it starts selling in Germany and France, an EU mark makes more sense than repeating filings country by country. This is an illustration, not a real case.
Mistakes that make registration more expensive
- Filing without checking earlier marks: an opposition can force you to pay again or give up the name.
- Registering in a person’s name and selling through a different company, which complicates assignment and Amazon verification.
- Covering only one class when the products belong to several.
If you want us to review your case before choosing, write to us via trademark registration in Spain and we will guide you with no commitment.