Changes in the trademark fees in Lithuania and Hungary
Within the framework of implementing the Directive (EU) 2015/2436 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the governments of Lithuania and Hungary have announced an update in their trademark laws and fee schedules as of January 1, 2019.
In Lithuania, from that date on, the fees for trademark filing and renewal will be increased by 160%, whilst the filing and renewal in each following class will become more expensive by approximately 17%.
Besides, the amended Law on Fees stipulates the filing fees for certification and collective trademarks, which constitute 240 EUR for one class and 40 EUR for each following class. The same amounts will have to be paid for the renewal of certification and collective trademarks.
In addition, a fee of 150 EUR will be introduced for the accelerated examination of a trademark application. The fee for registration, publication and issuance of the registration certificate will be eliminated. The fees for an appeal and opposition will be 60 EUR and 160 EUR correspondingly, whilst a request for invalidation or cancellation will cost 180 EUR.
As soon as the Law is introduced, the applicants will have to pay the filing fees when submitting an application for trademark registration, unlike a previously available option of payment within a month from the filing date. Furthermore, the term for payment of the trademark renewal fees will be shortened to the last six months of the trademark validity term.
In Hungary, starting from January 1, 2019, current trademark filing and renewal fees will be replaced with the fees specified in the table below:
|
Filing or renewal |
Trademark |
Collective/Certification trademarks |
|
in one class |
60,000 HUF (about 187 EUR) |
200,000 HUF (about 622 EUR) |
|
in two classes |
80,000 HUF (about 249 EUR) |
220,000 HUF (about 683 EUR) |
|
in three classes |
110,000 HUF (about 342 EUR) |
250,000 HUF (about 777 EUR) |
|
in four classes |
150,000 HUF (about 466 EUR) |
290,000 HUF (about 900 EUR) |
|
per class (over four classes) |
40,000 HUF (about 125 EUR) |
40,000 HUF (about 125 EUR) |
Besides, there will appear a new additional fee for the trademark renewal within six months upon the expiry of its validity in the amount of 30,000 HUF (about 93 EUR).
According to the aims of the Directive, the national and regional laws, as well as structures of the fee schedules across the European Union countries, will be harmonised. It will help the applicants to register their trademarks and plan out their budgets more efficiently.