In Estonia, it is possible to apply for the protection of trade marks under the Trade Marks Act, that took effect on 1 May 2004 (the first Trade Marks Act entered into force in 1992). As of 1 May 2004, EU legal acts concerning trade marks are also applicable in Estonia.
The most convenient option for filing trade mark applications is through the electronic filing portal. The portal enables to fill in and send trade mark registration applications to the Estonian Patent Office and to view previously filed applications. In order to submit a request, one must authenticate themselves using an ID card, Mobile ID or Smart-ID. Anyone can fill in an application, but only the applicant or a patent attorney representing them may sign it. In 2025, 94% of applicants used the opportunity to submit an application for trade mark registration electronically. Other documents related to the application process can be filed electronically with a digital signature. The trademark procedure has been paperless since 2017.
There are four possibilities to obtain legal protection for a trade mark in Estonia:
- registration in the register of trade marks and service marks by filing an application with the Estonian Patent Office;
- registration as a European Union trade mark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO);
- registration in the register of the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), requesting legal protection in Estonia;
- making the trade mark well-known in Estonia.
In total, 1,268 trade mark registration applications were filed in 2025 (1,181 in 2024). Estonian applicants filed 1,123 applications (1,004 in 2024). A total of 688 international trade mark registrations designating Estonia were received (656 in 2024). In total, legal protection for 1,956 trade marks was applied for (1,837 in 2024).
By the end of the year, there were 2,726,291 registered European Union trade marks (including 8,199 trade marks from Estonia), 25,792 registered national trade marks and 23,531 international registrations which are subject to legal protection in Estonia, in force in Estonia.
Estonian applicants filed 39 international trade mark registration applications with WIPO (43 in 2024). The number of countries and unions of countries where protection was requested amounted to 44 (59 in 2024). Protection for trade marks was most frequently applied for in the European Union (20 registrations), the United Kingdom (14 registrations) and the USA (11 registrations), followed by Latvia, Lithuania, China, and Switzerland (7 registrations each).
Estonian applicants filed 57.4% of all applications. Of foreign countries, China was most interested in obtaining legal protection in Estonia, with its applications and international registrations accounting for 5.6% of the total number of applications. China was followed by the USA (2.8%), Germany (2.7%), Slovenia (2.5%), and Hungary (2.45%).
The list of goods for which legal protection is sought has remained more or less unchanged for years. In 2025, the most frequently mentioned goods included electronics and computing goods (6.9%), pharmaceutical products and medicines (6.4%), preparations made from cereals and confectionery (4.6%), clothing and footwear (3.9%), and cosmetics (3.5%).
The most popular services were once again advertising, business management, office and sales services (11.2%), followed by education, training, entertainment, and cultural and sports activities (8.8%), scientific and technological services (5.2%), catering and accommodation services (4.1%), construction services (3.8%) and financial, insurance, and real estate services (3.7%).
All interested parties, including customs, the police and the commercial register, can use the trade mark database on the website of the Estonian Patent Office, which contains data on registered and pending trade marks, as well as international registrations designating Estonia. The database contains up-to-date information, as it is updated on a daily basis.
In 2025, the average examination time for national trade mark applications was 2.7 months, whilst the examination time for international registrations was 4.4 months. The average duration is calculated from the receipt of the application until the decision on registration is made, or the first substantive letter sent by the Estonian Patent Office requesting the correction of deficiencies identified in the application.
For some time now, the Estonian Patent Office has also been offering an accelerated procedure for trade mark applications. An application under the accelerated procedure with reduced data must comply with certain requirements, which allows the registration decision to be made in a shorter period of time. The accelerated trade mark application procedure remains popular – in 2025, 56% of domestic applications were filed as accelerated procedure applications. On average, such applications took eight (8) days to reach the stage of either the registration decision or (in the case of issues) the first notification.
Trade marks are published in the Estonian Trade Mark Gazette twice – first in Part I when the decision on trade mark registration has been made, and again in Part III after the trade mark has been entered into the register of trade marks and service marks. Decisions on international registrations are published for appeal in Part II of the Gazette. In order to speed up the trade mark registration process, the Estonian Trademark Gazette is published twice a month from 2024, instead of once a month.
Disputes arising from trade marks are resolved by the Industrial Property Board of Appeals and in court. The Industrial Property Board of Appeals upheld two appeals in 2025.
In 2025, there was a noticeable increase in interest among companies in registering their intellectual property. The number of applications received by the Estonian Patent Office for the registration of trade marks increased by 7% (1,268) compared to 2024 (1,181). The number of European Union trade mark registration applications reached 1,120 in 2025, compared to 917 in 2024. Small and medium-sized companies were able to apply for financial support via a joint fund of the EUIPO and the European Commission (SME Fund).
Each month, the Estonian Patent Office awards the title of ‘Trade Mark of the Month’ to one outstanding trade mark from among the trade marks registered that month. The exciting and educational stories of the owners of the winning trade marks, detailing their journey in creating and protecting their trade marks, are published in the Estonian Patent Office’s blog. Interested parties can find the necessary information on the registration of a trade mark in the blog, the Estonian Patent Office’s website and at trade mark seminars. Advice can be sought by telephone or email – specialists from the Trade Mark Department provided 1,069 trade mark and design consultations over the course of the year.
