Frequently asked questions
General questions
The first step is a free consultation and a search for earlier rights. You contact us, briefly describe your mark, product or invention, and our experts check whether it can be registered and whether anyone holds identical or similar earlier rights. Only after this search is the application prepared, so you avoid rejection and unnecessary costs. The consultation places you under no obligation.
We respond to requests within 1-2 business days, and we usually arrange the first consultation on the same or the next business day. Once we have the necessary information (an image of the mark, a list of goods and services, or a description of the invention), we can prepare the application within a few days. In urgent cases we work faster – just let us know when you get in touch.
For a trademark, the mark’s name or a logo file and a rough idea of the goods or services you will use it for are enough. For a design, you need product images or drawings. For an invention – a description of how your solution works and what is new about it. Don’t worry if the information is incomplete – during the consultation we help you put everything together and formulate it correctly.
The price is determined by several factors: the territory (Lithuania, the European Union or international registration), the number of classes for a trademark, the complexity of the case, and whether additional searches and legal analysis are required. Trademark registration in Lithuania starts from a lower amount than registration across the whole EU or in several foreign countries. Before starting work, we always provide a transparent estimate so that you know the full price in advance, including state fees.
The total price consists of two parts: the cost of our services and the state (office) fees, which depend on the territory and the number of classes. Registration in one country costs less than registration across the whole EU, and international protection in several states – correspondingly more. So that you don’t pay for what you don’t need, during the consultation we help you choose the optimal scope for your markets and provide an accurate total estimate.
You can register yourself, but most of the risk lies where an inexperienced eye does not see it: incorrectly chosen classes of goods and services, similar earlier marks, or too narrow a scope of protection can lead to rejection or an expensive dispute in the future. We carry out the search, formulate the application correctly, respond to the office’s inquiries and defend your mark if someone opposes it. This reduces your risk and protects your investment in your trademark.
Metida has worked in the field of intellectual property protection for more than 30 years. We are among the three leading representatives filing the most trademarks and designs in the European Union, so we have experience even with very complex cases. Over these years we have represented thousands of Lithuanian and international clients – from start-ups to well-known brands.
We have offices and representations in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the United Kingdom, as well as a representation in China (Beijing). Through our own network and that of our partners, we ensure intellectual property protection in practically any country in the world – from the European Union and the USA to international registrations. No matter where you plan to operate, we can take care of protecting your mark or patent.
Yes. Over more than 30 years we have built a broad client base ranging from start-ups to international companies, and many successfully resolved cases – from complex trademark registrations to won disputes. We can provide client testimonials and specific examples during the consultation, taking into account your field and needs.
An opposition or an office refusal does not yet mean that you will not be able to defend the mark. We analyse the grounds for the refusal or opposition and prepare a reasoned response or opinion defending your application. In most cases, a well-founded response makes it possible to overcome the obstacles and complete the registration successfully. It is important not to miss the set deadlines, so when you receive such a notice it is worth acting immediately.
In short: a trademark protects the name, logo or other sign by which customers recognise your goods or services. A design protects the exterior of a product – its shape, pattern or appearance. A patent protects a technical invention – a new solution with an inventive step. A logo is usually protected specifically as a trademark (and sometimes also by copyright). Businesses often need several types of protection at once – during the consultation we help you choose the right combination.
A trademark registration is valid for 10 years from the date of filing and can be renewed indefinitely every 10 years. A registered design is protected for up to 25 years (renewed every 5 years). An invention patent is valid for up to 20 years, but validity maintenance fees must be paid annually. So that you don’t miss a renewal or fee deadline and lose protection, we offer a deadline monitoring service and remind you of everything in good time.
Trademarks
A sign whose purpose is to distinguish some goods or services from other goods or services.
A trademark may be:
• Words
• Drawings and emblems
• Figurative signs with verbal elements
• Three-dimensional shapes
• Colours and their combinations
• Motion marks
• Multimedia marks
• Hologram marks
• Position marks
• Musical or sound marks
The following cannot be trademarks:
• Lacks distinctive character
• Describes the characteristics of goods and services
• Contrary to public order and good morals
• Is a geographical indication
• Is a flag, coat of arms or religious symbol
Trademark registration provides protection, a competitive advantage, distinctiveness and financial benefit.
A trademark is an object of intellectual property and it requires legal protection, which is acquired only after the trademark is registered. The owner of a registered trademark acquires exclusive rights, which can be transferred to third parties, licensed, and so on. Trademarks are a very important advertising tool. A registered brand can be pledged.
With a trademark registration, you can prohibit others from:
• The use of an identical mark
• The use of a similar mark for similar goods / services
• The use of a similar mark for dissimilar goods / services (reputation)
• Parallel imports
• The use of an identical or similar legal entity name
A trademark registration is valid for 10 years from the date of filing; the registration can be renewed every 10 years.
First of all, we assess whether the sign to be registered meets the absolute requirements set out in the Law on Trademarks and whether it can perform the main function of a trademark – to distinguish some goods or services from others.
The next task is a search for earlier trademarks, after which we assess the possible opposition risks.
Finally, we assess the chances of defending the trademark registration in the event of an opposition or claims.
1) Filing the application
Trademarks in Lithuania are registered by filing an application with the State Patent Office.
2) An expert from the State Patent Bureau (VPB) evaluates the application and the mark
The SPO expert evaluates both the application and the mark itself (to determine whether it meets the absolute requirements and can be recognized as a trademark). Following the examination, a decision is made to register the trademark or to refuse registration.
Please note that the VPB expert does not assess whether there are any identical or similar prior trademarks already registered and does not identify potential risks of opposition.
3) The application is published in the official bulletin of the State Patent Office (SPB)
In the event of a positive decision, the trademark application is published in the official bulletin of the SPB for a three-month opposition period, during which interested parties can file an opposition. If no opposition is filed and there are no other reasons not to register the mark, the mark is registered once the 3-month period has ended.
If you would like help registering your brand, you can contact us; “Metida” trademark experts will ensure a smooth registration process.
The approximate registration time is 6-8 months.
• We check whether there are already registered identical earlier marks and assess suitability for registration;
• We draw up an accurate list of goods and services;
• We provide answers to the questions of the State Patent Office experts;
• We assign a personal trademark expert and provide a free legal consultation. More information here.
The protection of a nationally registered trademark is valid in a specific country (e.g. Lithuania).
A trademark registration at European Union level protects it in all European Union countries, and at international level – in the countries of the Madrid Protocol (more than 120 states).
You can find more information here.
A patent attorney: an expert in industrial property protection who helps inventors, designers and other creators properly protect the innovations they create. They advise, prepare documents, and represent clients on various industrial property and other intellectual property protection matters.
The advice provided by patent attorneys can be especially useful when protecting a product at an early stage of its development, when preparing to enter the market or to export the product to foreign markets.
Our results and our years of activity speak for us. The METIDA team has worked in the field of intellectual property protection for 30 years; we are among the 3 leading representatives filing the most trademarks and designs in the European Union. Therefore we have a great deal of experience in the trademark registration process even in very complex cases.
Get in touch and we will provide a free consultation on developing your trademark registration strategy.
If you’d like to quickly register a trademark with our help, you can fill out an inquiry form here.
A logo is a graphic design element that reflects the identity of a company, brand, product or organisation. A logo can consist of symbols, a stylised name (words), a combination of letters or a combination of these, and it is an important aspect of marketing and brand recognition.
Logos are most often of three types:
WORD LOGOS
• One or more stylised words / letter combinations (having a distinctive name or a unique set of words/letters)
• An appropriately chosen font
FIGURATIVE LOGOS
• On the plus side – they are easier to remember than text logos and help emphasise the business’s identity, uniqueness, reputation and the values associated with a trademark.
• It is important to pay attention to expressiveness and to a symbol that appropriately describes the business.
COMBINED LOGOS
• A combination of text and a symbol
• Your business idea is revealed to the fullest.
Logo registration is an important step, because a business uses it for advertising. The visual part of a trademark helps customers identify and recognise their favourite brands at points of sale, in the media or online.
1) The most effective and cost-efficient way is to register it as a trademark. This ensures:
• Exclusive rights to this object of intellectual property
• Provides protection against competitors or other persons who may in the future seek to take advantage of the business’s success and existing reputation.
2) A logo is also protected against unlawful acts by copyright. Copyright perfectly complements trademark registration. Copyright arises immediately once the logo creation process is complete:
• If you created the logo yourself, you acquire the copyright automatically.
• If the logo was created by an employee of your company whose job duties under their employment contract include logo design, the copyright automatically transfers to the company for a period of 5 years.
The price consists of: a service fee – from EUR 250 (+ VAT) and the state fee.
You can register a trademark- here.
The price consists of: a service fee – from EUR 350 (+ VAT) and the state fee.
You can register a trademark- here.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), together with the European Commission, is continuing the “SME Fund” project from 3 February 2025 and providing support for trademark and design registration. This project is intended to provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) wishing to protect and effectively manage their intellectual property. If you are an SME, we invite you to apply for compensation from 3 February 2025 and recover up to 75% of registration costs.
More information – here.
Of course, our initial consultation with an expert is always free; you can contact us via our website.
The essence of trademark monitoring is to notice early on an identical or similar brand being registered and to cancel that registration by filing an opposition with the State Patent Office.
We carry out post-registration trademark procedures and help you dispose of your trademark:
• Perleisti
• Pledge it or grant licences to other persons.
If you want to transfer trademark rights, please contact us- nuoroda.
• Determining whether the sign to be registered meets the absolute requirements set out in the Law on Trademarks and whether it can perform the main function of a trademark – to distinguish one manufacturer’s goods and services from another manufacturer’s
• A search for earlier trademarks and the identification of possible opposition risks
• An assessment of the chances of defending the trademark registration in the event of an opposition or claims
We monitor trademark validity terms and inform you in good time of the need to renew them, and we also carry out the actions to renew the validity of a trademark registration.
Registration renewal must be completed during the last year of the mark’s validity, and with a surcharge – within 6 months from the end of the registration’s validity.
It is essential to renew the trademark’s validity, because if it is not done in time, restoring the trademark registration is no longer possible.
An intellectual property portfolio audit is the inventory, assessment and analysis of the intellectual assets belonging to a business (trademarks, designs, inventions, etc.).
It makes it possible to determine and help increase the value of your existing intellectual assets and to create the most suitable intellectual property management strategy for your business.
The intellectual property portfolio audit service covers:
• Trademarks, logos
• Design
• Patents
• Company names, domain names
• Copyright teises
• Trade secrets
• Confidentiality obligations
• Licensing of processes and use under franchise
Our specialists will assess your company’s existing intellectual property so that you can take advantage of the available compensation opportunities as you grow your business.
• Intellectual property experts providing this service will conduct a detailed analysis of your business model, products/services, and expansion plans; after assessing your competitive environment, they will prepare a customized proposal or strategy for managing your intellectual property.
• This is particularly important if you are considering business expansion in the future (mergers, acquisitions, or seeking investors)-we conduct a comprehensive due diligence review of your company.
• An intellectual property portfolio audit can help not only identify and assess external and internal risks, but also protect against or avoid them in a timely manner (for example, by entering into confidentiality agreements with employees, as well as production and licensing agreements, etc.).
• You will protect yourself against situations where the rights of third parties may be infringed. Your intellectual property can account for up to 90% of your company’s value, so it must be protected.
• Intellectual property is part of any company’s image and identity, so intellectual property management ensures a transparent reputation for your company.
If you have any questions, please contact us: contacts.
1) An expert assesses your company’s current situation:
• Analysis of independent intellectual property valuation: acquisition, commercialization, and analysis of the competitive environment
• Checking intellectual property rights: in TMview, DesignView, the European Patent Office (EPO) and other databases
2) The expert collaborates with company representatives (a confidentiality agreement may be signed):
• Review of existing intellectual property assets/registrations
• During the interview, we discuss where the business operates, what services/goods the company provides, etc.
3) The expert prepares a report and submits it to the company
• Identification of intellectual property assets and recommendations for registration
• The intellectual property portfolio is evaluated, an action plan is recommended, risks are identified, and recommendations for business strategy management are prepared
4) Once the report is approved, the expert reviews the summary and recommendations for action together with a company representative.
Design
Design – This is a representation of the entire product or a part of it, consisting of the specific characteristics of the product or its ornamentation:
• Lines, contours, colours
• Shape, texture and/or material
A design can be:
• Labels
• A product and/or part of it, product packaging
• Logos
• Clothing, footwear, accessories
• Computer icons
• Ornaments and sets
A design cannot be:
• Computer programs
• Colours
• Standard verbal elements
• Living organisms
• A design that promotes or depicts cruelty or discrimination.
A design helps distinguish a product from others on the market and gives it added value.
Once a design is registered, it is much easier to defend your rights than when defending rights to an unregistered design. The owner of a registered trademark and design acquires exclusive rights, which can be transferred to others, licensed, pledged and so on.
These rights protect not only against direct copying of the design, but also against the use of a similar design, if the consumer cannot distinguish these designs by their overall impression.
1. Filing the application
Designs in Lithuania are registered by filing an application with the State Patent Office. The application can be filed by a natural or legal person, and it can also be filed through a representative. A single design application may contain more than one, but no more than 100, design samples of the same product.
2. The application and design are evaluated by an expert from the State Patent Bureau (VPB)
The SPB expert assesses both the application and the design itself (whether the design applied for registration meets the general requirements for a design). If the expert has questions during the design examination, or if additional information is needed, the applicant may have to clarify or supplement the information provided. After the design examination, the expert decides whether to register or refuse to register the design. Please note that the SPB expert does not assess whether identical/similar earlier designs are already registered and does not identify possible opposition risks.
3. The application is published in the official bulletin of the State Patent Office (SPB)
After the application is published, interested parties can, within 3 months of the publication of the design registration, file an opposition requesting that the design registration be declared invalid. If no opposition is filed and there are no other reasons not to register the design, a design registration certificate is issued once the 3-month period has ended.
We assess whether the design meets the criteria for novelty and individual character and is eligible for
registered. We also conduct a search for prior designs.
On average, a design is registered and the certificate issued 9 months after the date of filing the application.
A design is registered and protected for 25 years, but the registration must be renewed once every 5 years, at least 6 months before the design registration’s validity expires.
The protection of a nationally registered design is valid in a specific country (e.g. Lithuania).
A design registration at European Community level protects it in all European Union countries, and at international level – in selected countries that have signed the Hague Convention.
You can find more information – here.
Patent attorneys:
• Will analyse the specific situation and offer the most optimal design registration strategy.
• Will help you correctly choose the classes of products for which the design will be used according to the international Locarno Classification.
• Will prepare the necessary documents, carry out the design registration and inform you about each stage of this process.
The price consists of: a service fee – from EUR 430 (+ VAT) and the state fee. The price includes 10 design samples.
From EUR 350 (+ VAT) and the state fee. The price includes one design sample.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), together with the European Commission, is continuing the “SME Fund” project from 3 February 2025 and providing support for trademark and design registration. This project is intended to provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) wishing to protect and effectively manage their intellectual property. If you are an SME, we invite you to apply for compensation from 3 February 2025 and recover up to 75% of registration costs.
More information – here.
If you have questions about design registration, you can fill out the inquiry form on this page at the end.
• Assessment of the novelty and individual character criteria
• A search for earlier designs in design registers
• An assessment of possible opposition risks and the likelihood of defending the design
More information – here.
• Monitoring of the design’s validity term
• Notification before the design registration’s validity expires
• Preparation of design protection extension documents
More information – here.
To transfer the rights to a registered design, a rights transfer agreement must be concluded and the change of design owner registered in the Designs Register. We carry out post-registration design procedures and help you dispose of it: transfer, pledge or grant licences to others.
Contact us – contacts.
Patents
After filing a priority application, the owner can extend the protection of their invention to other countries or regions under the relevant procedures described in various patent conventions, e.g. the Paris Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the European Patent Convention, and so on.
Our patent experts advise on extending the protection of an invention and help find the most optimal solution for your situation.
A technical solution can be recognised as an invention, and one of the forms of its protection is a patent.
A patent is the granting of a temporary monopoly to the patent owner in exchange for disclosing the invention.
A patent is beneficial because it:
• Creates distinctiveness
• Increases financial benefit
• Attracts investment
• Provides licensing opportunities
• Creates an advantage over competitors
• Increases added value and reputation.
An invention patent does not oblige its owner to use the invention, but only grants them the right to prohibit third parties from using the object of the patent for production and commercial purposes.
A patent can protect an invention that is novel, has an inventive step and is industrially applicable.
The following cannot be protected by a patent:
• Discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods;
• The external appearance of products;
• Games, intellectual or business activity plans, rules and methods, as well as computer programs;
• Methods of presenting information;
• The human body in its natural environment or an element of it, including a gene sequence or part of it, at any stage of its formation and development;
• Therapeutic or surgical methods for treating humans or animals, and methods of diagnosing and preventing diseases applied to the human or animal body;
• Plant or animal varieties or essentially biological methods of producing them;
• Inventions whose commercial use would be contrary to the public interest and the principles of morality and humanity.
A patent is valid for 20 years. It is important to pay the annual fee so that the patent’s validity is not cancelled.
To assess the patentability of an invention, we carry out a worldwide patent search. The search results reveal the analogues of the invention that already exist in the world. This makes it possible to decide whether it is worth patenting the invention.
National protection is valid only in the territory of the selected country.
An international application gives the applicant the opportunity to seek protection for the invention in almost the whole world (in as many as 148 countries).
The protection of an invention patented at European level is valid in selected European Patent Convention countries. The applicant is entitled to obtain a patent for several countries by filing a single application with the European Patent Office. A European patent provides the possibility, where needed, of obtaining patent protection in as many as 40 countries. This is a simpler and cheaper way to obtain protection for an invention if the applicant seeks it in at least several European countries.
You can find more information here.
1) Filing the patent application
The invention patenting procedure begins with the filing of the patent application. A fee of a set amount must be paid for filing the application.
2) Formal examination of the application. Assignment of a filing date to the patent application
An expert of the SPB Inventions Division examines the application, checking: the completeness of the patent application and whether the documents or data meet the set requirements, and whether the object applied for is patentable.
3) Rejection of the patent application
If, during the examination, the expert finds that the patent application does not meet the requirements and the deficiencies have not been corrected, the application is deemed withdrawn and the expert decides to reject it.
4) Publication of the patent application
18 months after the date of filing the application (or the priority date), the patent application is published in the official bulletin of the SPB.
5) Grant of the patent
After the patent application is published, the fee for granting the patent must be paid within 3 months of the publication date of the patent application. Once the applicant has paid the set fee, the SPB enters the invention into the patent register and publishes the patent’s bibliographic data and the invention’s definition in the official bulletin of the SPB.
First of all, you need to have a description of the invention, which, along with other documents, is submitted to the patent office of the country of your choice. We can help you prepare all the necessary documents and file an application to patent your invention. Contact us!
• Pay attention to many technical and legal requirements
• The legal limits of the invention’s protection must be included and described.
This is one of the most important stages of the patenting process, because after the application is filed, essential changes can no longer be made.
Since the stage of drafting the description of the invention is particularly important and complex, our patent experts do not recommend preparing descriptions of inventions on your own. We help you prepare a detailed description of the invention that meets all requirements. Contact us us!
It is necessary to answer the questions raised by the experts during the examination of the application regarding the patentable invention.
You can entrust communication with the patent office experts of a specific country to “Metida” specialists, who will answer all inquiries.
After filing a priority application, the owner can extend the protection of their invention to other countries or regions under the relevant procedures.
It is very difficult to determine the total patenting costs precisely, because each case is individual; however, a correctly prepared invention description, a patenting path thought out in advance and a qualified patent attorney will allow you to save considerably, invest reasonably in the invention’s protection, and gain a competitive and commercial advantage over your competitors.
• A smaller number of pages in the invention description (e.g. at the European Patent Office the fee for each page from the 36th onwards is EUR 16).
• Having no more than 15 claims in the invention’s definition makes it possible to avoid additional fees at the European Patent Office.
• Patenting in countries where no substantive examination is carried out, e.g. Lithuania, Latvia.
• Meeting the unity criterion.
• Accuracy and orderliness of the description.
The cost of patenting services includes: evaluation of the invention (search for prior art), preparation of the invention description, and filing of the application. You can find the service price calculator here.
A patent can be valid for 20 years and, to maintain its validity, an annual fee is paid every year in each selected country.
Certain countries, including Lithuania, provide financial support to cover patenting costs; therefore we introduce inventors to these funding opportunities and help them choose the most optimal way to recoup their expenses.
The cost of a patent depends on many factors and varies from country to country. Patenting an invention can therefore require considerable expense, especially if you want to protect the invention in more than one market. Therefore, we look for ways to reduce the financial burden of patenting.
Of course, the initial consultation with our patent experts is always free; you can contact us at – here.
Legal services
Regarding the copying of a registered trademark or design, the counterfeiting of goods, the use of similar signs, or piracy (the unlawful use or distribution of copyright-protected works).
The main tool for protecting intellectual property is the registration of intellectual property.
Counterfeiting of goods is the manufacture of, and trade in, goods marked with someone else’s trademark.
We monitor the market for counterfeit goods and pirated products. Contact us – contacts.
Piracy is the unlawful use or distribution of copyright-protected works.
Our lawyers represent clients’ interests in negotiations, legal disputes, intellectual property offices and other institutions regarding the validity of, and infringements of, rights to trademarks, designs and patents.
Copyright is the author’s right to their work. In this context, a work is defined as an original result of creative activity in the fields of literature, science, or art, regardless of its artistic value, mode of expression, or (objective) form.
Examples of works protected by copyright:
• Literary works: books, diaries, etc.
• Scientific works: textbooks, doctoral dissertations, etc.
• Works of art: sculptures, songs, etc.
It is important to know that copyright cannot protect: ideas, information messages, official documents, folklore works or a product’s instructions for use.
Related rights are the rights of performers, phonogram producers, broadcasters and producers of the first recording of audiovisual works (films), which ensure the protection of their financial interests – and, for performers, also their moral interests.
The object of related rights can be a direct (live) performance, a performance of a work recorded on a medium, a phonogram, the first recording of an audiovisual work (film), or a radio and television broadcast by a broadcasting organisation.
The author’s economic rights are of an economic nature – they give the author the right to control any use of their work and also ensure the possibility of receiving remuneration for such use. These rights can be transferred or inherited. In Lithuania, the author’s economic rights are valid for the author’s entire life and for 70 years after the author’s death.
Economic rights give the author the right to prohibit others from, without the author’s consent:
• to reproduce the work in any form or manner;
• to publish the work;
• to translate the work;
• to adapt, arrange, dramatise or otherwise transform the work;
• to distribute the original of the work or its copies by selling, renting, lending or otherwise transferring ownership or possession, as well as by importing and exporting;
• to publicly display the original of the work or copies;
• to publicly perform the work by any means and methods;
• to broadcast, retransmit and otherwise publicly communicate the work; including making it available to the public via computer networks (online).
Moral rights are the right of authorship, the right to the author’s name and to the integrity of the work. They cannot be transferred to others and are protected indefinitely.
The author’s economic rights can be inherited by will or under local law, and they can also be transferred by contract.
Our specialists can help you draft a copyright and related rights agreement for the transfer of rights. Contact us – contacts.
If the work’s copyright is still protected, you must contact the author or the entity representing them:
1) When the author exercises their rights themselves, a copyright agreement is concluded with the author regarding the use of the work.
2) When the author is represented by a collective management organisation, a licence agreement is concluded with the collective management organisation.
If you have not found the rights holder and have not obtained permission, do not use the work.
If the economic rights are no longer valid, the work can be used freely (without permission and without paying remuneration, provided the author’s personal moral rights are not infringed).
The requirement to obtain the author’s permission in order to use their intellectual property does not apply when a work is criticised, quoted, or when a link is shared to a work available on a freely accessible website.
The author’s permission is also not required when a caricature or parody is created from or based on the work. This also applies to so-called digital “memes”.
• Financial benefit is ensured and income is not lost
• The author’s name and reputation are protected
• The authorship of the work or other object is protected against misappropriation
We tailor a copyright protection strategy to your individual situation, ensuring optimal protection and the effective enforcement of your rights. Copyright can effectively protect the author’s economic, creative and legal interests.
Of course, the first consultation with our lawyers is always free; you can contact us here or directly on our website metida.lt.
