With BOIP you can protect your trademark or your logo. That is something you don’t do every day, which is why we are here to help you, with information you can understand that is not commercial but is independent. If you would like to know more about us and the different ways we can help you, read more below.
How can BOIP help you?
- You can register your trademark or design with us. As an official body we implement trademark and design protection law. You can also record an i-DEPOT with us for proof that your idea existed on a given date.
- Recording your rights is an administrative process that you need to familiarise yourself with. We help you do this with clear information and a system that is as simple as possible.
- We also hold various information events where we explain intellectual property, in particular with regard to trademark and design law.
How is BOIP not able to help you?
As an independent, non-commercial body we are not able to give you advice in relation to your own specific situation. For that you can contact a legal specialist or lawyer specialising in trademark and design law. Details can be found through the website of the Benelux Association for Trademark and Design Law: www.bmm.eu. If you wish, these specialists can also take care of the whole registration procedure for you.
With BOIP you can register a trademark or a design or record an i-DEPOT. To protect other forms of intellectual property, such as patents or plant breeders' rights for example, you need to contact other organisations. Contact details for those organisations can be found on our website. If you are unsure about which sort of rights you need to protect, please call or email our Information Centre. We will be happy to help you further.
Why is trademark and design protection regulated at the Benelux level?
Together, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg form an economic union: the Benelux. Since 1971, the same law for trademark protection is valid throughout that union. Since 1975, this is also true for the protection of industrial designs. Since 2006, that law is known as the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (BCIP). Under that Convention, as an entrepreneur, you can register your trademark, design or drawing for the whole of the Benelux. This exclusive right means you can take action against misuse. A registered trademark or design means you are the official owner, and you therefore have a wide range of possibilities open to you to make your business even more successful.
