5,0/5 Google · 167 reviewsWe do not check reviews of us on other platforms that we do not quote verbatim for authenticity. They may therefore also come from people who are not our clients. The rules of the respective platform apply. Reviews that we quote verbatim on our website, by contrast, have been checked for authenticity within the meaning of Section 5b(3) UWG (German Act against Unfair Competition): we compared the reviewers’ names with our client register. We also asked the respective platform to check the reviews for authenticity.Period: October 2016 to date · As of: 28 October 2026
Trademark maintenance for your portfolio
Registration is only the beginning
Your product lines are growing, new countries are being added or similar signs are appearing on the register? We keep your trademark portfolio usable and defensible, from deadlines and evidence of use to the assessment of new conflicts.
Please enter a short description first.
Initial contact is free of charge. Should any costs arise, we will inform you expressly in advance.
Response within 24 hours on working days
As of: 23 October 2026
Portfolio3 of 5
- Renewal deadlines recordedPresent
- Owner data in the register up to datePresent
- Use matches the specificationCheck
- New similar application assessedPresent
- Opposition or actionseparate mandateMissing
Point of review: Which trademark secures the company's value?
- 1Send the portfolioTrademarks and occasion
- 2Classify the riskDeadlines and conflicts
- 3Set up maintenancePlan and responsibility
Schematic illustration. Simplified example.
We look after trademarks of
- Online retailers
- SaaS providers
- Agencies
- Manufacturers
- Creator brands
Key points at a glance
- A trademark can be on the register and still be poorly managed commercially.
- Trademark maintenance combines deadlines, register status, use, conflict assessment and extension into one plan.
- If a hit turns into a conflict, we prepare an opposition, coexistence agreement or cease-and-desist letter as a separate mandate.
- ITMR combines trademark law with platform sales, contracts and digital business models.
- Your contact is Jean Paul Bohne and his team. He is a specialist lawyer for IT law and for copyright and media law. Response on working days within 24 hours.
- SaaS
- Software as a Service. Software used over the internet rather than installed.
- DPMA
- German Patent and Trade Mark Office. German trademarks and designs are registered there.
- EUIPO
- European Union Intellectual Property Office. EU trademarks and EU designs are registered there.
Starting position
When is registration no longer enough?
As soon as trademarks are at work in the business, in product lines, platforms, contracts and new markets.
Scope of protection, use, deadlines, register data and conflict situation must fit together for a trademark to hold up in a dispute.
Several trademarks, product names or logos exist side by side. It is unclear which rights count commercially, which should be maintained and where gaps in protection exist.
A similar trademark, a conspicuous marketplace offer, a domain or a search ad appears. Now you must decide whether to monitor, oppose, agree coexistence or enforce.
Renewals, use, ownership and evidence are not bundled. This weakens later defence long before it becomes visible in day-to-day business.
Management, an investor, buyer or procurement demand robust statements on the IP portfolio. Then the usability of the portfolio counts, not the registration alone.
- For whom
- Companies with their own trademarks
- Registers
- DPMA, EUIPO, WIPO
- Core
- Deadlines, use, conflicts, extension
- Disputes
- Opposition, cease-and-desist, action separately
For companies with several signs, trademark maintenance is ongoing legal management. Which trademarks need to be monitored? Which registrations should be renewed, cleaned up or extended? Which use must be documented?
New product lines, sub-brands, platforms or markets need a suitable protection architecture instead of individual applications. We check whether the existing scope of protection is sufficient.
In e-commerce, SaaS, platform sales and international roll-outs, trademark conflicts also arise outside the register. Search ads, shop offers, reseller structures, domains and product feeds help determine which response makes sense.
If financing, a sale, licensing, rebranding or expansion is coming up, the trademark situation becomes a negotiating issue. Ownership, scope of protection, deadlines, use and conflict situation should then be organised in advance.
Describe your portfolio or the hit using the form. We will get back to you on working days within 24 hours.
Process
How does trademark maintenance work?
In three steps from the portfolio to the maintenance plan.
01
Send the portfolio Trademarks, register data, affected signs, countries, products, platforms or current hits are enough to get started.
02
Classify the risk We review deadlines, use, conflict situation and portfolio structure and show where action is needed.
03
Set up maintenance You receive a clear line for monitoring, renewal, clean-up, extension and possible enforcement.
What we clarify
- 1
Clarify the portfolio Which trademarks, classes, countries, owners, forms of use and deadlines make up the current scope of protection?
- 2
Prioritise risks We sort hits, deadlines, gaps in use and digital infringements by relevance, urgency and commercial goal.
- 3
Prepare a response If a hit escalates, we prepare an opposition, coexistence, platform step, cease-and-desist letter or settlement.
How long does it take? We complete most work steps within a few working days. How quickly it goes depends on the scope and your feedback. Do you have a fixed date, such as a launch? Tell us right away in your enquiry and we will plan for it.
Service
What does trademark maintenance deliver in concrete terms?
Service package: trademark maintenance
Portfolio and register maintenance Inventory of trademarks, applications and countries. Review of owner details, register status, renewal deadlines and scope of protection.
Organise the portfolio Which trademarks are commercially central, which can be cleaned up and how sub-brands, claims, logos and series marks are structured.
Conflict assessment Assessment of new identical or similar signs from DPMA, EUIPO and WIPO registers and marketplaces, with a recommendation between monitoring, opposition, coexistence and enforcement.
Use and evidence Review of whether the trademark is used as the specification requires. Building evidence on product, period, territory, extent and form of the sign.
Expansion and contracts Classification of new countries, product lines and platforms. Review of licensing, distribution, franchise and cooperation models.
Interfaces Alignment with domain law, competition law, design law and digital distribution.
- For whom
- Companies with their own trademarks
- First response
- within 24 hours on working days
- Costs
- We tell you the costs transparently before you instruct us.
- Not included
- New applications, opposition proceedings, cease-and-desist letters and actions. On request, we take these on as a separate mandate.
Who delivers what and who decides
- Registration numbers or list of trademarks
- Current use and product areas
- Known hits and deadlines
- Licence and distribution agreements
- Portfolio and deadline review
- Conflict assessment with recommendation
- Maintenance plan with responsibilities
- Preparation of follow-up steps
- You decide on maintenance, extension and escalation
- In a dispute, the office or court
How does the engagement work?
- 1
First assessment You describe your portfolio or hit using the form. We assess which scope fits. The first contact is free of charge.
- 2
Offer Before we start, we tell you the scope and costs transparently.
- 3
Court steps separately We agree opposition proceedings, court proceedings and representation separately.
Risk points
How does a trademark portfolio lose value?
The biggest risks arise quietly, long before an open dispute.
Without monitoring of term of protection, fee window and responsibilities, the trademark may be lost.
Deviating logos, new product lines or changed services weaken defensibility.
Without monitoring, new applications become visible when sales or platforms are already affected.
Restructurings, asset deals or holdings lead to incorrect owner and address data.
Offers, ads, domains and product feeds need preservation of evidence, trademark law and tactics together.
A large portfolio is not automatically strong. It is strong when priorities and scopes of protection are managed.
Before the start
Which questions do we clarify before maintenance?
Five questions determine where effort pays off.
Before the maintenance plan
- Which trademarks secure the company's value? What matters is which signs secure revenue, visibility, product lines, licensing models or negotiating positions.
- Which territories are relevant? Germany, the EU and international extensions must fit sales, expansion and the threat situation.
Which hits require a response? What matters is similarity of the signs, proximity of goods and services, distinctiveness and commercial goal.Which evidence must be available? We collect evidence of use, period, territory, product and form of the sign before a dispute, not during it.Where does escalation begin? Some cases remain portfolio work. Others lead to opposition, cease-and-desist letters, coexistence agreements or litigation.
Specialist pages
When does another package fit better?
In narrow situations, the path leads directly to a specialist page.
For product names, company signs, claims or logos before launch or rebranding.
When the deadline is running against a newly published trademark.
When court enforcement or defence is the focus.
When deception as to origin, imitation or advertising conduct form the stronger axis.
When domains, registrar access or conflicts between signs are at the centre.
When design, imitation, chain of rights or exploitation are affected besides trademarks.
Legal framework
Which deadlines and rules apply to trademarks?
Under Section 47 MarkenG, a German trademark is protected for ten years and can be renewed for further periods of ten years. Under Section 42 MarkenG, an opposition period of three months from publication runs against a newly registered trademark.
If a trademark is not genuinely used for five years, it can be revoked on application under Section 49 MarkenG. Section 26 MarkenG governs what counts as use.
EU trademarks are governed by the EU Trade Mark Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 and its deadlines. Under Art. 46, opposition must be filed within three months of publication.
The DPMA only examines absolute grounds for refusal under Section 8 MarkenG. It does not check of its own motion whether earlier third-party rights stand in the way. Searches and monitoring are the owner's responsibility.
- Section 47 MarkenG Term of protection and renewal.
- Section 42 MarkenG Opposition.
- Section 49 MarkenG Revocation for non-use.
- Section 26 MarkenG Use of the trademark.
- Section 8 MarkenG Absolute grounds for refusal that the DPMA examines on application.
- EU Trade Mark Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 Art. 46 opposition, Art. 53 renewal.
- WIPO Madrid System International registrations.
Limits
Where are the limits of trademark maintenance?
Clear boundaries keep maintenance and conflict apart.
- 1
Maintenance is not a conflict mandate We handle opposition, cease-and-desist letters and actions as a separate mandate.
- 2
No reflexive escalation Not every register hit justifies a response. We recommend based on relevance and goal.
- 3
No promise of outcome Whether an opposition or enforcement succeeds is decided by the office or court.
- 4
The decision remains yours We provide options and risks. You decide on maintenance, extension and escalation.
What you can expect as a result
- A portfolio that can be monitored, used, extended and relied on in a conflict.
- Clear deadlines and responsibilities instead of scattered register data.
- A recommendation per hit before sales or platforms are affected.
Your contact
Lawyer and mediator · Partner · Specialist lawyer for IT law · Specialist lawyer for copyright and media law
View profile Düsseldorf, Schirmerstraße 80 · Hamburg, Palmaille 124
TOP lawyer 2027 · Business lawyers · Intellectual property
F.A.Z.-Institut and QuantiQuest. Based on recommendations from peers and assessments by in-house counsel. Source (opens in a new tab)
ReviewsWe do not check reviews of us on other platforms that we do not quote verbatim for authenticity. They may therefore also come from people who are not our clients. The rules of the respective platform apply. Reviews that we quote verbatim on our website, by contrast, have been checked for authenticity within the meaning of Section 5b(3) UWG (German Act against Unfair Competition): we compared the reviewers’ names with our client register. We also asked the respective platform to check the reviews for authenticity.
What clients say
5,0 von 5 · 71 Bewertungen auf anwalt.dePeriod: October 2018 to date · As of: 28 October 2026
“Super competent and friendly firm and lawyers, especially Mr Bohne.” (translated from German)
“Uncomplicated advice and a quick solution. Many thanks to Mr Jean-Paul Bohne and his team.” (translated from German)
“I am overwhelmed, I did not expect such outstanding service! Mr Bohne really took our small company by the hand. We're staying here!” (translated from German)
FAQ
What do companies ask about trademark maintenance?
When is trademark maintenance useful?
As soon as a trademark has to be protected, monitored, renewed, used or defended in ongoing business. This applies in particular with several trademarks, new product lines, platform sales, expansion or recurring hits.
Is trademark maintenance the same as trademark monitoring?
Monitoring is part of it. Trademark maintenance also covers deadlines, register status, use, portfolio structure, extensions, chain of rights and the preparation of oppositions or negotiations.
Does the DPMA automatically check for older similar trademarks?
The DPMA examines absolute grounds for refusal, but does not check of its own motion whether earlier third-party rights stand in the way. Searches and conflict assessment remain the owner's task.
What happens if a similar new trademark appears?
We review similarity of the signs, proximity of goods and services, scope of protection, use and commercial relevance. This leads to a recommendation to monitor, oppose, agree coexistence or enforce later.
When do I need a trademark opposition instead of maintenance?
When a later trademark has been published and the opposition period is running. Then a specific register-law response is needed, which we handle as a separate mandate.
Does trademark maintenance also cover international trademarks?
Yes. For sales or expansion beyond Germany, we look at German trademarks, EU trademarks and international registrations together and clarify which countries are commercially relevant.
Next step
Should your trademark portfolio be organised?
When trademarks, product lines, platforms or new markets come together, it should be clear early on which rights count and where action is needed.
Helpful for your enquiry
- Registration numbers or list of trademarks
- Countries and classes
- Current use and product areas
- Known hits, deadlines and contracts
A single hit that needs to be classified is also enough to get started.
Have your trademark portfolio reviewed
For companies with registered trademarks, product lines and expansion plans.
Describe your portfolio or hit, clarify the need for action.
Related services
Register a trade mark Protect new signs.Opposition against a trademark Register-law response.Trademark litigation Court enforcement.Opposition against your trademark Defend a new trademark.Service packages All packages.
From our blog: Fake invoices in the name of the DPMA