| Examination Time | Approximately 6–8 months |
| Examination System | Substantive examination |
| Protection Period | 10 years from the date of registration |
| Renewal | Renewable for an additional 10-year term within 6 months prior to expiration |
| Application Process | - Complete and submit the application form
- Receive application number and official receipt
- Pending examination (approximately 6–8 months)
- Payment and certificate issuance upon approval (within 2 months after approval)
- Registration announcement (3 months)
- ※ The trademark certificate is issued approximately 30–40 days after payment of the registration fee.
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| Pre-Application Considerations | - Taiwan still uses a substantive examination system; average approval rates are 85–89% due to various procedures such as amendments, supplements, appeals, and statements.
- Most refusals are due to identical or similar trademarks already registered for the same or related goods/services, lack of distinctiveness, or conflicts with well-known trademarks which may diminish distinctiveness.
- Conduct thorough trademark searches before filing to avoid rejection, wasted costs, lost market opportunities, or infringement disputes.
- Google searches can help preliminarily assess distinctiveness and potential conflicts with well-known trademarks.
- Applications can be single-class or multi-class; multi-class offers no official fee advantage and may incur additional costs in disputes. Single-class filing is generally recommended.
- Once filed, trademark representations cannot be altered. The designated goods/services may be reduced (deleted), but any additions are not allowed and will require a new application.
- The names of designated goods/services are recommended to refer to the standardized terms provided by TIPO to avoid subsequent office actions.
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| Post-Approval Considerations | - Any third party may file an opposition within 3 months after the registration publication.
- Taiwan issues the trademark certificate and starts the 3-month publication period at the same time, meaning that oppositions can still be filed even after the certificate is received.
- The trademark’s actual use must match the registered design. Arbitrary changes or partial use may lead to cancellation claims such as “three consecutive years of non-use” or “use causing similarity with other marks”.
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