The EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) is the central office of the European Union that manages EU trademarks and Community designs, i.e. intellectual property rights valid throughout the European Union.

It is based in Alicante, Spain, and has been operating since 1994. The office processes more than 150,000 trademark applications and 90,000 industrial design applications every year.

The EUIPO also coordinates cooperation between the national industrial property offices of the Member States and promotes the unification of procedures for examining applications.

It also hosts the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, which monitors infringements of these rights and raises public awareness of their importance.

The office also manages the Orphan Works Database – an online system with information on literary, cinematographic, artistic and audiovisual works whose authors cannot be traced.

Importance for entrepreneurs and authors

The EUIPO enables companies and individuals to obtain uniform protection for a trademark or design for all EU countries with a single application.
This significantly simplifies registration, reduces costs and provides strong legal protection against imitation within the single European market.

Basic data:

Registered office: Alicante, Spain

Year of establishment: 1994

Chief Executive Officer: João Negrão

Number of employees: approximately 775

Website: www.euipo.europa.eu