After registering your trade mark (or any other intellectual property right (IPR)) you need to ensure that it is not used by anyone else in the market.
Monitor the marketplace by checking the press, trade publications and the web for companies using your trade mark without authorisation. It may be that illegal copies of your products are on sale or that competitors are using marks that are similar, but not identical, to your trade mark.
Customs and police are enforcing intellectual property rights on the front line — at the EU borders and in the internal market. To effectively carry out their task, the enforcement authorities need the active engagement of the rights holders themselves. Cooperation is the most effective weapon: thanks to the information provided by the rights holders, enforcers can identify goods suspected of infringing IPRs more easily and subsequently take the necessary action.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has developed the IP Enforcement Portal to enable rights holders to protect their products against counterfeiting by sharing information on their products, IP rights and contact data with EU enforcement authorities.
In addition, for customs to be able to take action and detain goods suspected of infringing IPR, you need to file a customs application for action. This can be done electronically through the IP Enforcement Portal.
Use of the tool is free, secure and available in the 23 languages of the EU.
