The scheme, which will run from 23 January 2023 until 8 December 2023, will enable SMEs established in the European Union to recover up to 75% of eligible fees incurred in connection with trademark and design applications, at both EU and national level, up to a maximum of €1,000.

This is welcome news, since it is estimated that over 99% of all businesses in the EU are SMEs and is all the more pertinent in the digital age, where obtaining formal legal protection of one’s intangible assets allows businesses to prevent others from copying or using them without their authorisation.