How to present your trademark in the application

Provide a clear, precise and comprehensible representation of your trademark in the application.

Clear and precise means that the application details must contain a clear description of the mark in question. This is why your trademark application may not include contradictory details about the mark or several marks.

If you want to register several trademarks, you need to file a separate application for each of them. One application must not include more than one version of your mark.

You are free to present your trademark as you wish, as long as the representation is clear and precise. It must also be possible to present your mark in the Trademark Register reliably.

We recommend that you read the requirements for registration before you file your trademark application. In other words, find out what kind of trademarks it is possible to register before you decide on how you present your mark.

Read more about the requirements for registration.

We recommend that you use the following file formats:

• Documents: PDF (preferably PDF/A)
• Images: JPEG
• Video files: MP4
• Audio files: MP3

The maximum size of a single file is 15 MB.

Types of trademarks and how to present them in your application:

Word mark

A word mark is a trademark that comprises nothing but a word or a set of words or a combination of letters. Please note that a word mark may also contain numbers or be a combination of single letters or numbers.

A word mark does not include figures or a specific typeface (font).

A word mark gives extensive protection because it protects all possible ways to present the word mark. Registering such a mark requires the word to be distinctive. Read more about distinctiveness.

Figurative mark

A figurative mark comprises nothing but drawings, graphics or a picture. It does not contain words or letters.

Please note that you must include only one version of your figurative mark in the application, and not different alternative versions of the same mark. We cannot decide which alternative the application relates to and, consequently, which mark is to be examined.

Figurative mark with a word

A figurative mark with a word element comprises both a figurative element and a word or words or letters. Such a mark could be, for instance, a word written in a particular font or typeface.

Three-dimensional mark

A three-dimensional mark consists of the appearance of the product or of its packaging. In other words, the mark comprises a three-dimensional shape.

Sound mark

A sound mark consists exclusively of a sound or a combination of sounds. Submit an audio file in MP3 format with your application.

Motion mark

A motion mark consists of a movement, a change in the position of the elements of the mark, or a moving image. It can be represented either as an MP4 file or as a sequence of pictures.

Position mark

Tavaramerkki koostuu erityisestä tavasta, jolla merkki on sijoitettu tai kiinnitetty tuotteeseen.

Pattern mark

A pattern mark consists exclusively of elements or patterns which are repeated regularly.

Multimedia mark

A multimedia mark consists of a combination of image and sound.

Colour mark

A colour mark consists exclusively of a single colour or a combination of colours without contours.

File the colour details with a reference to a generally recognised colour code (for example Pantone). Also include the colours of the mark (red, blue, etc.) in writing and a description of the colour combination that shows the composition of the combination in a predetermined manner.

Other types of trademarks

In addition to the types of trademarks described above, you can apply for a trademark for almost anything that you can present in a clear, precise and comprehensible manner. In addition, it must be possible to present the mark in the Trademark Register. A hologram mark is an example of a rare type of mark.

Until 1 May 2019, it was a requirement that all trademarks could be presented graphically, but this requirement has been dropped. At present, the requirement is to provide a clear, precise and comprehensible presentation of the trademark.

Colours in marks, and black-and-white marks

Your trademark is protected in the exact form and colours given in the application. A description of colour is required for colour marks only.

From 1 May 2019, a trademark presented in black and white is no longer considered to cover all colour variations but instead only the black and white form it has been presented in.

Black and white marks that were applied for before 1 May 2019 are still considered to cover the mark in all colour variations.