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Important Notices

The German Patent and Trade Mark Office irregularly publishes important notices on current IP topics. Not all notices are available in English. Please find here an overview of the notices in German.

Important notice of 2 June 2026

• Expiry of the term of protection of registered designs: the German Patent and Trade Mark Office will give earlier notification of the expiry of the term of protection of designs and of the renewal fees

Important notice of 2 March 2026

• Entry into force of the Ordinance Amending Electronic Legal Transactions with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office

Important notice of 16 February 2026

• The distinctive character of slogans; completion of Convergence Project 17 as part of the European cooperation

Important notice of 16 February 2026

• Signs describing the subject matter of goods and/or services; completion of Convergence Project 16 as part of the European cooperation

Important notice of 11 February 2026

• Increase of trade mark applications made in bad faith

Important notice of 2 January 2026

• Update of the official list of goods for designs for the 15th edition of the Locarno Classification (classification for registered designs)

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Last updated: 12 June 2026