COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 LAW 4072/2012 
PART THREE 
TRADEMARKS 
 
CHAPTER A΄ 
CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS OF PROTECTION 
 
Article 121 
Signs of which a trademark may consist  
A trademark can be any sign being represented graphically capable of 
distinguishing the goods or services of an undertaking from those of other 
undertakings.  
Trademarks can particularly be words, names, company names, aliases, illustrations, designs, letters, numbers, colors , sounds, including musical 
phrases, the shape of good or of its packaging.  
 
Article 122 
Acquisitio n of the Right  
The right to exclusive use of the trademark is obtained by its registration.  
 
Article 123 
Absolute grounds for refusal  
1. The following signs  shall not be registered as trademarks:  
a. signs which do not conform to the requirements of Article 121,  
 
b. trademarks which are devoid of any distinctive character ,
 
 
c. trademarks which consist exclusively of signs or indications which 
may serve in trade to designate the kind, quality, attributes, COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 quantity, destination, value, geographical origin or the ti me of the 
goods production or of  the service rendering or other 
characteristics of the goods  or service,  
d. trademarks which consist exclusively of signs or indications which 
have become customary in the everyday language or in the bona 
fide and established practices of the trade,  
e. signs which consist exclusively of the shape imposed by the nature 
of the product or it is necessary to obtain a technical result or gives 
substantial value to the product,  
f. signs which are contrary to public order or  to principles of morality,  
g. signs which are of such a nature as to deceive the public, for 
instance as to the nature, quality or geographical origin of the 
goods or service.  
 
2. Similarly, the following signs  shall not be registered as trademarks : 
a. signs which are intended to distinguish wines or spirits that contain 
or consist of protected by EU legislation, geographical indication, 
designating wines or spirits, if these wines or spirits do not have the 
specific origin,  
b. signs  which contain or consist of a designation of  origin or a 
geographical indication registered in accordance with the EU 
legislation and regarding the same type of product, on condition 
that the application for registration of the trade mark has been 
submitted after  the date of filing of the application for registration of 
the designation of origin or geographical  indication of agricultural 
products and foodstuffs . 
3.  Trademarks are not:  
a. Names of states, the flag, the emblems, the symbols, the 
escutcheons , the  signs and the markings of the Greek State and 
other States, which are referred to in the Article 6 (3) of the Paris 
Convention for the protection of Industrial Property (Law 213/1975, 
A΄ 258) and under conditions  of this article as well as the signs of 
great symbolic importance and specific public interest and 
particularly religious symbols, expressions and words.  
b. Signs the filing of which is contrary to good faith or was made in bad faith.  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 4. Notwithstanding the provisions of the cases b, c and d of the paragraph 
1, a sign is being accepted for registration, if up to the date of its filing 
has acquired distinctiveness due to its use.  
 
Article 124  
Relative grounds for refusal  
1. A sign s hall not be registered:  
a.  If it is identical to an earlier trademark and the goods or services, 
for which the trademark has been registered, are identical with 
those for which the earlier mark is protected,  
b.  If because of the identity with the earlier trademark and the 
similarity of goods or services, or the similarity to the earlier 
trademark and the identity of goods or services, or the similarity to 
the earlier trademark and the similarity of goods or services, there is a risk of public confusion, which also includes the likelihood of its 
association with the earlier trademark.  
c.  If it is identical or similar to an earlier trademark that has a reputation and the use of the later trademark would take, without 
due cause, unfair advantage of the dis tinctive character or the 
repute of the earlier trademark or would damage its be detrimental 
to the distinctive character or its reputation, regardless if the later 
trademark is intended to distinguish goods or services that are 
similar to products or serv ices of the earlier trademark.  
2.  For the purpose of this Law “earlier trademarks ” means : 
a. the trademarks, including the international ones protected in 
Greece and in the EU, which have been registered before the date of the trademark  application filing, taking into account the priority or 
seniority rights claimed in respect of those trademarks , 
b. the earlier trademark s applications , including the above 
international and Community ones, subject to their registration,  
c. the trademarks which on the date of the trademark application 
filing or, where appropriate, of the priority claimed in respect of the 
application for registration of the trade mark, are well known, in the 
sense of Article 6bis of the Paris  Convention.  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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3.  A Sign is not accepted for regis tration:  
a.  If it is contrary to the right of an unregistered trademark or any 
other distinctive sign or feature used in trading, which gives the proprietor the right to prohibit the use of a later trademark, provided 
that these rights have been acquired prior to the date of this sign 
filing, taking into account any claimed priority rights.  
b. If it is contrary to a prior right of the personality of a third party or to 
a prior right of intellectual or industrial property other than those 
regulated by this Law, 
c.  if it is likely to cause confusion with a trademark which has been 
registered and used abroad at the time of the application filing, if it 
was made in bad faith by the applicant.  
4.  A written consent, with or without conditions, of the proprietor  of an 
earlier trademark, that has been submitted at any stage of a trademark examination by the Trademark Off ice, the Administrative Trademark 
Committee or the Administrative Courts, removes its registration 
obstacle, under Article 124,  paragraph 1 of thi s Law .  
 
CHAPTER B ΄ 
 
CONTENT OF A RIGHT 
 
SCOPE OF PROTECTION  
 
 
Article 125 
 
Content of a right  
 1.  The registration of a trademark confers on its proprietor an exclusive 
right. Specifically, it provides the right to use it , the right to affix it to produc ts, 
which it is intended to distinguish, to characterize the provided services, to 
affix it to covers and packaging of goods, to writing paper, invoices, price lists, notices, advertisements of all kinds, and to any other printed material and to 
use it in electronic or audiovisual media.  
  2. As use of the trademark is also considered:  
 a. the use of a trademark in a form differing as to its elements, which do not alter its distinctive character,  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 b. the affixing of a trademark to products or its packaging i n Greece destined 
exclusively for export,  
c. The use of the trademark upon the proprietor's consent, and the use of a 
collective trademark by persons entitled to it.  
 
3.  The proprietor of the trademark is entitled to prevent all third parties 
from using i n trade without his/her permission:  
 
a. any sign which is identical to the trademark for goods or services identical 
to those for which the trademark has been registered,  
 b. any sign for which, because of its identity with or similarity to the trademark 
and the identity or similarity of the goods or services covered by the 
trademark, there is a likelihood of confusion, including a likelihood of 
association,  
 c. any sign which is identical or similar to a trademark with a reputation and 
where use of th at sign, without due cause, would take unfair advantage of, or 
would be detrimental to the distinctive character or its reputation, regardless whether the sign is intended to distinguish goods or services that are similar to products or services of the earlier trademark.  
 4.  The proprietor of the trademark is entitled to prevent all third parties:  
 a. the mere passage of counterfeit or copycat products  through Greek territory 
destined to another country or to import for re-export,  
 b. the affixing of a trademar k to genuine products of the proprietor’s 
production and which the proprietor is intended to circulate as anonymous.  
 c. the removing of the trademark from genuine products and their disposal on 
the market as anonymous or under another trademark.  
 
 
Article  126 
 
Limitation of protection 
 
 1.  The right conferred by the trademark to the proprietor does not prevent 
any third parties from using in trading: 
 a) their name, surname, trade name and address,  
 b) indications concerning the kind, the quality, the int ended purpose, the 
value, the geographical origin, the production time of products or of rendering of the service or other characteristics thereof,  
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 c) the trademark itself, if it is necessary to indicate the intended purpose of a 
product or service, in particular in case of accessories or spare parts, if such 
use is in accordance with honest practices in industrial or commercial matters.  
 2.  The right conferred by the trademark does not prevent third parties 
from using in trade an earlier  right applicable to particular localities,  if that  right 
is exercised within the territorial limits where it is recognized.  
  
Article 127 
 
Loss of right owing to tolerance  
 
 
1.  The proprietor of an earlier trademark or of another right within the 
meaning of the paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Article 124 respectively , has no 
right to prohibit the use of any subsequent registered trademark for goods or 
services, for which it was used, if he has knowingly tolerated the use of this 
trademark for five consecutive years, unless the filing of the subsequent 
trademark application was made in bad faith.  
 
2.  In the case of paragraph 1, the proprietor of the subsequent registered 
trademark cannot prohibit the use of the earlier trademark or of another right . 
 
 
Article 128 
 
Exhaustion of  rights  
 
1.  The right that is conferred by the trademark does not entitle its 
proprietor to prohibit the use of the trademark in respect of  goods that have 
been placed under this trademark within the European Economic Area by the same proprietor or upon his/her consent.  
 
2.  Paragraph 1 shall not apply where there exist legitimate reasons for the 
proprietor to oppose further commercialization of the goods, especially where 
the condition of the goods is changed or impaired after they have been put on 
the market.  
 
Article 129 
 
Statement of disclaimer  and application for a limitation 
 
 The applicant may at any time and regardless of  pended proceedings:  
 
a. make a statement that he disclaim s any exclusive right to certain non-
essential elements of the applied t rademark,  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 b. make a statement that he limits the goods or services that are mentioned in 
the application form. 
 
 
Article 130 
 
Division of the trademark application or registration 
 
 
1.  The applicant or the proprietor of the trademark may divide the 
application or the registration respectively, by declaring that  some of the 
goods or services included in the original application or registration will be the 
subject of one or more divisional applications or registrations. The goods or 
services in the divisional application or registration shall not overlap with the 
goods or services which remain in the original  application or  registration . 
 
2.  The priority time of each divisional application filing or registration goes 
back to the date of the original application filing.  
 
3.  The declaration of division shall not be admissible if where an 
application for opposition against an application filing or a declaration of 
invalidity or cancellation has been entered against the registration,  such a 
divisional declarati on has the effect of introducing a division amongst the 
goods or services against which the application for opposition or the 
declaration of invalidity or cancellation is directed, until the relative decision 
has become final or the proceedings are finally  terminated otherwise.  
 
 
CHAPTER C  
 
THE TRADEMARK AS A PROPERTY 
 
 
Article 131 
Transfer  
 
 1.  The right to a trademark or to the application filing can be transferred, 
in life or after death, for all or part of the goods or services for which an 
application for a trademark has been filed or registered, regardless of the 
transfer of the undertaking.  
 
2.  The transfer of the whole of the undertaking shall include the transfer of 
the trade mark except where there is agreement to the contrary or 
circumstances cl early dictate it. COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 3.  A written agreement is required for the transfer and it is valid against 
third parties only after its enter in the register of trademarks.  
 
4.  When a trademark is transferred at the time the case is pending before 
the Trademark Offic e or the Administrative Trademark Committee or the 
competent Administrative Courts or the Council of State, the transferor is entitled to exercise an additional intervention.  
 5.  Until the hearing before the Administrative Court of Appeal, the 
applicant may, as a result of the transfer, acquire an earlier trademark, which 
prevents the registration of his/her application subjected to judgment , so the 
registration of the transfer in the register of trademarks automatically removes the reason inhibiting the registration. The Administrative Court is bound to 
take account of the above transfer by the mere production of a copy of the 
trademark record which indicates the transfer.  
  
Article 132 
Licensing 
  
1.  A trade mark may be licensed for some or all of the goods or services 
for which it is registered in Greece and for the whole or part of the Greek 
Territory. A license may be exclusive or nonexclusive.   Either the proprietor, 
under  his/her statement, or the licensee, under the proprietor’s authorization, 
inform the register of trademarks for the grant of a license.  
 2.  The proprietor of a trade mark may invoke the rights conferred by that 
trade mark against a licensee who contravenes any provision in his licensing 
contract with regard to: 
 (a) its duration;  
 
(b) the form covered by the registration in which the trade mark may be used;  
 
(c) the kind of the goods or services for which the license is granted;  
 
(d) the territory in which the trade mark may be affixed; or  
 
(e) the quality of the goods manufactured or of the services  provided by the 
licensee.  
 
3.  The parties may agree that the licensee of a mark use shall be entitled 
to grant further sub -licenses under the procedure and conditions  of paragraph 
1. 
 
4.  The licensee may independently  bring proceedings for infringement of 
a trade mark only if its proprietor consents thereto. However, unless otherwise COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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 agreed, the holder of an exclusive license may independently  bring such 
proceedings if the proprietor of the trade mark, after formal  notice, does not 
himse lf bring infringement proceedings within an appropriate period.  
 
5.  When the proprietor brings proceedings , the licensee may intervene 
and seek compensation for the damage he/she has suffered.  
 
6.  The expiry or amendment  of the trademark license agreement is 
entered in the register of trademarks  accordingly .  
 7.  The statement of the trademark proprietor  on the expiration of a license 
of use automatically  results in  the removal  of the license that has been 
entered in the register.  
 
 
Article 133 
 
Rights i n rem –Levy of execution 
Bankruptcy proceedings  
  
 
1. A trademark may be given as security or be the subject of rights in rem.  
 
2. A trademark may be levied in execution.  
 
3. A trademark belongs to the assets available for distribution.  
 
4. The proceedings  of the above paragraph concerning the trademark are 
entered in the register of trademarks ; in case of bankruptcy, and at the 
request of the trustee.  
  
 
CHAPTER D  
 
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE  
 
 
Article 134 
Filing an application of a trademark  
 
 
For the registr ation of a national trademark an application is filed (ANNEX V) 
in the Directorate of Commercial and Industrial Property (Trademark Office  of 
the Ministry of Development, Competitiveness and Shipping.  
 
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 Article 135 
Conditions for granting a filing date 
 
1. The application filing of a trademark is accompanied by a document proving 
the payment of the application fee and must contain:  
 a. the application for registration of a trademark,  
 b. the printing of the trademark,  
 c the applicant’s surname and first name, residence, telephone number and email address. For legal persons, instead of the surname and first name and 
the residence, their company name and their seat are stated. For more 
applicants a common representative is appointed.  
 
d. the list of goods or  services which the trademark is to distinguish, sorted by 
class with an indication of the particular class, in groups of products or 
services.  
 
2.  The application filing date is the date of documents submission of the 
paragraph 1.  
 
 
Article 136 
Other for mal requirements of the application  
 
1.  Besides the data of paragraph 1, Article 135, the application of a 
trademark must contain:  
 
a) the signature of the applicant or occasionally that of his/her attorney -at-law,  
 
b) if priority is claimed, the date of the earlier application filing and the country 
where it is in force , 
 c) if the applicant is represented by an attorney -at-law, his/her name, address, 
telephone number, and e-mail address,  
 
d) if the application is filed by a lawyer, a written authorizat ion is required. The 
mere applicant’s signature to this authorization is sufficient,  
 
e) the appointment of a representative ad litem, his/her address, telephone 
number and e-mail,  
 
f) if the trademark is audible, colored, three-dimensional or collective, the 
indication of these characteristics,  
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 g) if the trademark is written in characters other than those of Greek and Latin 
alphabet, the transliteration of these characters in Greek or Latin alphabet , in 
Appendix . 
 
2.  The application and the printing of t he trademark are mandatory filed in 
electronic form by providing the relevant office  with a digital audio disc or 
other appropriate electronic storage medium.  
 3.  The application accompanied by the printing of the trademark  may also 
be filed by electronic  means, if it is dated and signed within the meaning of the 
Article 3, paragraph 1 of the Presidential Decree 150/2001 (A ΄ 125). The 
application  and the printing of the trademark that have been sent 
electronically, are deemed to have been filed , if the sender receives by the 
Office  according to Article 134, an electronic receipt bearing an advanced 
electronic signature within the above meaning and contains the data that are 
specified in paragraph 2, of Article 135.  
 
4.  By joint decision of the Ministers of Administrative Reform and 
Electronic Governance, Finance and Development, Competitiveness and 
Shipping, are specified the terms, conditions, procedure and technical 
specifications, the technical management and any matter relating to the 
implementation of  the paragraph 3.  
 
 
Article 137 
Examination of the a pplication 
  1.  The application takes a number and the date and time of filing are 
attached on it . It is entered in the register of trademarks and is posted on the 
website of the General Secretariat of C ommerce.  
 2.  For each application filing an electronic record is created, the content 
of which is set  by a decision of the Minister of Development, Competitiveness 
and Shipping, and which at a minimum includes the following elements: registration number,  date and time of application filing, the printing of the 
trademark,  the  name of the applicant and for legal persons the name of them, 
and the reference, in chronological order, to decisions that are issued on the 
application, the oppositions, appeals, applications that are filed for 
cancellation or  invalidity and the decisions taken thereon and the reference to 
the acts that are recorded on the trademark  application, whose post on the 
website of the General Secretariat of Commerce is provided by the indiv idual 
provisions.  
  
Article 138 
Examination of formal requirements  
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1.  The Trademark Service examines:  
 
a) if the application fulfills the conditions for a filing date in accordance with 
Article 135,  
 b) if the application fulfills the conditions of Article 136.  
 2.  If the application filing does not fulfill the conditions of Articles 135 and 
136, the Trademark Office  shall invite the applicant to correct or supplement 
the established irregularities or deficiencies within one month of the invitation. 
 3.  In case of irregularities or deficiencies related to the elements of Article 
135, if the applicant complies with the invitation of the Office , within the 
deadline, the Office grants as a filling date of the application  the date, on 
which all established irregularities or deficiencies were corrected or 
completed. Otherwise, the application is not considered as an application for 
the registration of a trademark.  
 4.  If irregularities or deficiencies that are related to the elements of Article 
136 are not corrected or supplemented, within the deadline, the Office  will 
reject the trademark application filing and notify the relative decision to the 
applicant.  
  
Article 139 
Examination as to grounds for refusal  
  
1. If there are no grounds for refusal as per Art icle 123 or  paragraphs 1 and 3 
of Article 124, the application for registration is accepted and the relevant 
decision is poste d on the website of the General Secretariat of Commerce 
(GGE ) within one month after receipt of  the filing date.  
 
2. If the search by the Trade Mark Office establishes that the trade mark is 
inelig ible pursuant to Article 123 or paragraphs 1 and 3 of Article 124, for 
all or  part of the goods or services included in the application filing, the 
applicant is required within one month as fr om the date he/she is informed, 
either to withdraw the application or to restrict the scope of protection for 
the trade mark to the extent that it is rendered elig ible or to submit his/her 
observations.  
 3. If the applicant restricts the scope of protection f or the trade mark  to the 
extent that it is rendered eligible or if his/her observations are valid, the 
application is accepted by a decision post ed on the website of the General 
Secretariat of Commerce within one month from the submission of the 
restriction or observations of the applicant.  
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 4. If the applicant fails to respond within the deadline set or if he/she does not 
withdraw his/her application or if he/she does not restrict the scope of 
protection for the trade mark  to the extent that it is rendered e ligible, or if 
his/her observations are not found acceptable and valid, the Trade Mark 
Office rejects the application. The decision for the rejection is notified to 
the applicant in care of the Trade Mark Office and is posted on the website 
of the General Secretariat of Commerce.  
 
5. The examiner, employee of the Trade Mark Office,  shall be responsible for 
taking decisions in relation to the examination of absolute grounds for refusal and to an application for registration or refusal.  
 
 
Article 140 
 
Opposition 
 
 
1. The examiner’s decision accepting the registration of application may be 
opposed within a three-month period as from its publication on the website 
of the General Secretariat of Commerce in accordance with par. 1 and 3 of 
Article 139, for a registration being contrary to one or more grounds of 
Article 123 and par. 1 and 3 of Article 124 of this law.  
 
2. If there are absolute grounds as per Article 123, the opposition can be filed 
by anyone who has  a legitimate interest.  Chambers as well as consumers 
associa tions have a legitimate interest as per Law  2251/1994.  
 
3. If there are absolute grounds as per Article  124 paragraphs  1 and 3, the  
opposition shall be filed by the proprietor s of earlier trademarks or rights, 
as well  as by licensees authorized by the proprietors of those trademarks,  
according to the terms  and conditions of  Article  132. 
 
4. The opposition shall be filed by a document  submitted to the Trademark  
Office  and the Administrative Trademark Committee shall be responsible 
for taking decisions in relation to  it. It shall not be treated as duly entered 
until the opposition fee has been paid.  
 
Article 141 
 
Data of opposition 
 
 
The opposition sh all be accompanied by a document  certifying the payment  of 
the opposition fee and include the following:  
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 a) the number of the application against which it is addressed and the data of 
its proprietor , 
 
b) the grounds on which it is based identifying the earlier  trademark or right 
as well as the goods  and services upon which the opposition is based,  
 
c) a clear specification of t he application goods or services against which the 
opposition is filed.  
 
Article 142 
 
Examination of the O pposition 
 
 
1. The Trademark  Office  shall immediately inform the opponent  of the receipt  
of opposition being submitted in due time, the registration number  given to 
it and the date on which the Administrative Trademarks Committee will 
meet to examine it.  
 
2. Additional grounds  on the opposition may be submitted fifteen days before 
the meeting of the Administrative Trademark Committee which shall 
examine it.  
 
3. For the examination of the opposition, the procedure of Article 145 is 
applicable.  
 
4. The Administrative Trademark Committee decides on the opposition 
based on the evidence available to it.   
 
5. If examination of the opposition reveals that the trade mark may not be registered in respect of some or all of the goods or services for which the Community trade mark application has been made, the application shall be 
refused in respect of those goods or services. Otherwise the opposition 
shall be rejected.  
  
Article 143 
 
Proof of use 
 
 
1. If the applicant so requests,  the opponent, as the proprietor  of an earlier 
trademark in the scope of paragraph 2, Article 124, shall  either furnish 
proof that during the five years preceding the date  of  publication of the 
trademar k’s registration the earlier trademark has been put to genuine use 
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 and which he cites as justification for his opposition or that there are 
proper reasons for non-use,  If, at the  date on which the trade mark 
application was published, the earlier trade mark had been registered for 
not less than five years.  
 
2. The request for proof of genuine use is submitted, under penalty of 
inadmissibility, during the examination of the opposition in front of  the 
Administrative Trademarks Committee.  In that case, the President of the 
Committee shall grant for the opponent a period of at least twenty days , 
commencing from the date of the hearing, so that he can provide evidence 
for the requested use. After this period has elapsed, the applicant of the 
trademark shall be informed on the evidence so that he can file  his 
observations within fifteen days. The Commission shall examine the case 
based on the evidence presented and arguments raised by the parties.  
 
3. If the earlier  trademark has been used only for a part of products or 
services for which it had been registered, for the purpose of examining the 
opposition, it will be deemed regi stered only for that part of products or 
services.  
 
4. If the opponent does not prove the genuine use of his/her trademark or 
that there is a reasonable cause for not having used it, the opposition shall 
be rejected without prior examination of the substance of the case.  
 
 
Article 144 
 
Proceedings before the Administrative Tr ademark Committee 
 
 
1. The decisions of the Trademark Office rejecting wholly or partially the 
trademark application are subject to an appeal within sixty days as of the 
date of notification of the decisions .  
 
2. The appeal is filed before the Administrative Trademark Committee. It is 
considered filed only after the relevant fee has been paid.  
 
3. The filing of the appeal is registered in the electronic file of the trademark , 
kept on the website of the General Secretariat of Commerce.  
 
4. Anyone who has a legitimate i nterest may additionally intervene before the 
Administrative Trademark Committee within sixty (60) days as of the date 
of the appeal’s registration pursuant to paragraph 3.  
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Article 145 
 
Administrative Trademark Committee 
 
 
1. The Administrative Trademark Committee is seated in Athens, has its 
meetings in the Ministry of Development, Competitiveness and Shipping at 
a room  specified by statement  of the Head of Trademark s Office. 
 
2. It consists of three members, at least two of whom should have a law 
degree. It i s composed of departments including one judge of the Legal 
Counci l of the State, as chairman, a graduate employee of the General 
Secretariat of Trade, preferably an owner of a law degree, having an 
experience as employee in the T rademarks Office, and a third member, 
having an experience of at least three years of employment in the field of 
the trademark law, who can be either  a lawyer for whom the provision on 
incompatibility applies as per Article 62 of Lawyers Code (Legislative 
Decree 3026/1954, A 235), or in the scope of article 14 of Law 2190/1994 
(A 28),  a graduate civil servant  owning  a law degree. The Members, 
except the chairman, act as rapporteurs in cases examined by the 
Administrative Trademark Committee. The Cases are distributed to the 
Committ ee’s departments by the senior chairman.  
 
3. The Committee’s meetings are public and minutes  are kept. The 
Committee meets on days and times designated by the senior chairman at 
the beginning of every year and posted outside the Trademarks Office and 
on the website of the General Secretariat of Commerce. The hearing is 
based on the cases list drawn up by the Head of the Trademark Office. 
The cases  list is posted eight days before the day of the hearing outside 
the Trademarks  Office . 
 
4. The mandate of the members  of the Administrative Trademark Committee 
is three years, once renewable. The chairman and the members of the 
Administrative Trademark Committee are independent in the exercise of 
their duties and may be dismissed by the Minister of Development, 
Competitiveness  and Shipping on serious grounds related to the execution 
of their duties and especially for infringement of the principle of impartiality, 
unjustified absence from their duties and refusal or delay in the execution 
of their tasks. The members of the Administrative Trademark Committee, 
except the chairman, are full -time employees.  
 
5. Members  of the Administrative Trademark Committee are not allowed to 
have participated in the decision making proceeded by the Trademarks 
Office on accepting or rejecting a n application for registration.  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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6. The parties concerned are represented by a lawyer, they can raise their 
arguments in writing before the Committee and they can submit any 
appropriate document in support of their case. The absence of the parties 
does not presume an admission. The Committee judges as if the parties 
were present. The Committee ac cepts the evidence provided by the 
provisions of the Administrative Procedure Code (Law 2717/1999, A 97). 
Statements in writing sworn are accepted before a magistrate or  a notary 
or a consul, after issue of summons to the opponent  party to appear within 
forty-eight hours. The Committee may allow the hearing of witnesses  
before it . 
 
7. Decisions are made by the Committee on a majority basis and they shall 
be specifically justified.  
 
8. Summaries of decisions accepting the trademark are published on the 
website of the General Secretariat of Commerce. Rejecting decisions are 
notified by the Office to the parties concerned or their attorneys.  
 
 
Article 146 
 
Proceedings before the Administrative C ourts  
 
 1. The decisions  of the Administrative Trademark Committee on oppositions 
and on appeals as per Article 144, are subject to appeals before the 
administrative courts  within sixty days  from the notification of such 
decisions.  
 
2. The appeal has a suspending effect.  
 
3. During the hearing before the administrative courts the litigants before the 
Administrative Trademark Committee are invited by the party which has 
lodged the appeal , under penalty for refusal to hearing, to apply an 
intervention. Those persons, once legally invited as mentioned above,  do 
not have the right of opposition unless there are circumstances of  force 
majeure. 
  
Article 147 
 
Registration - Register  of Trademarks  
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1. The decisions of the examiner, the Administrative Trademar k Committee 
and the Administrative Courts  as well as applications  data produced to the 
examiner and the Administrative Trademark Committee as well as legal 
remedies are noted in the register of trademarks and all the above decisions  are posted on the websi te of the General  Secretariat  of 
Commerce.  When the trademark is accepted by an unassailable decision 
of the examiner and the Administrative Trademark Committee or by a final 
judgment of the courts , the word ‘registered’ is noted in the trademark 
register along with any changes regarding goods or  services referred to by 
the trademark.  
 
2. The trademark which has been accepted is considered to have been 
registered as of the date of the application for registration. All legal 
changes of the trademark and of the right on the trademark are noted in the register of trademarks.  
 
3. The trademark register is public.  Copies or ex tracts  of registrations are 
provided to anyone who applies for them.  
 
4. The trademark register  may be in electronic form ( electronic trademark 
register). A decision of the Minister of Development , Competitiveness and 
Shipping sets the terms , conditions, registration procedure, technical 
specifications, technical management  and any  other matter relevant to the 
establishment and maintenance of the Elec tronic Trademark Register. By 
the same decision   the commencement of operation of the Electronic 
Trademark Register is ascertained and the trademark register  is 
abolished.  
 
Article 148 
 
Duration of protection – Renewal  
 
 
1. The trademark protection lasts for  a decade commencing from  the day 
after the date of application for registration.  
 
2. The protection of the trademark can be extended every ten years by a 
proprietor’s application and a payment  of the renewal fee in due time.  
 
3. The renewal fee is paid during t he last year of  protection.  It can also be 
paid within a further  period of  six months  after the end of the decade, 
provided that it is increased by half.  
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19 
 4. Subject  to paragraphs  3 and 2  of Articles 171 and 175 respectively , the 
trademark is deleted if within the period specified in paragraph 3 the 
renewal fee set by law is not paid.  
 
5. Any dispute concerning the extension of protection and any  objection to 
the deletion as per paragraph 4 shall be resolved by  the Administrative 
Trademark Committee upon request  of the interested party.  
 
 
Article 149 
 
Restitutio in integrum  
 
 
1. The applicant  for  or trademark proprietor  or any litigant party to 
proceedings before the Trademark Office or the Administrative Trademark 
Committee, who, in spite of all  due care required by the circumstances  
having been taken, was unable to comply with a time limit vis à vis the 
Trademark  Office  or the Administrative Trademark Committee due to force 
majeure or unforeseeable circumstances or any other great  reason which 
was not of his  responsibility, may request  to have his rights re-established, 
if the obstacle to compliance has the direct consequence  of causing the loss of any right or means  of redress.  
 
2. Paragraph 1 shall not  apply to time limit s for opposition, as well as to the 
ones for claiming priority pursuant to Article 177 Paragraph 2. 
 
3. The application for Restitutio in integrum   is submitted according to the 
case to the T rademark  Office  or the Administrative Trademark Committee 
within two months from the removal of the obstacle to compliance with the 
time limit  and i n any event  not later than a year following the expiry of the 
unobserved time limit.  
 
4.  For the application a fee is payable.  
 
5. Where the applicant for or proprietor of a trade mark has his rights re-
established, he may not invoke his rights vis -à-vis a third party who, in 
good faith, has acquired a right in the course of the period between the 
expiry of the unobserved time limit  up to the date the decision re-
establishing  the rights was issued by the Administrative Trademark 
Committee.  
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20 
 6. In the case of non-submission of the request for renewal, the further period 
of six months provided in Article 148, shall be deducted from the period of 
one year as per paragraph 3. 
  
CHAPTER E 
 
TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT  
 
Article 150 
 
Claims  on infringement  
 
 
1. Anyone who, in infringement  of Article  125 uses or otherwise affects  a 
trademark belonging to someone else, can be sued for removal  of 
infringement and its omission in the future and be ordered to pay 
compensation.  
 
2. Along with the claim  for the removal  of the infringement the proprietor  may 
ask, among others, for the following: a) the withdrawal  of products which 
have been found to infringe the trademark’s right  from the market, and, if 
necessary, of the material principally used for the infringement , b) the 
removal of the offending trademark or  distinctive  sign, or, when this is not 
possible, the permanent removal of products bearing the offending sign 
from the market  and c ) their destruction. The court orders the execution of 
these measur es at the expense of  the trademark offender, unless special 
reasons  advocate for the contrary.  
 
3. If the court  condemns for failure to act,  the threatened penalty for every 
infringement  is a fine from 3,000 to 10,000 euro in favor of the proprietor , 
and impr isonment  for up to one year.  The same applies when the 
sentence is in the process  of injunctions. Otherwise Article 947 of the 
Code of Civil  Procedure is applicable.  
 
4. The proprietor  also has the rights  of the first  subparagraph of paragraph 2 
against any i ntermediary whose services are used by a third party to 
infringe rights.  
 
5. Whoever  offends  someone else’s trademark must pay compensation and 
satisfy moral damages.  
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21 
 6. The compensation can also be calculated based on the amount which the 
infringer would have paid for rights or  other fees , if he had requested the 
license for use from the proprietor . 
 
7. To calculate compensation the court  takes into account,  inter alia,  the 
negative financial impact and profit loss incurred by the proprietor  and any 
benefits obtai ned by the offender of the trademark.  
 
8.  If there is no fault of any liable person,  the proprietor  may claim  either the 
amount by  which this person benefited from the unauthorized exploitation 
of the mark,  or the reimbursement  of the profit obtained by him from this 
exploitation.  
 
9. The action is brought  before the competent  Single-Member C ourt of First 
Instance, regardless of amount and is tried during the regular  process.  
The claim  for compensation is barred after  five years  from the end of the 
year in which there was the first time of infringement . Upon interruption of 
the limitation, a new limitation period begins to run from the expiry of the 
year during which the end of the interruption happens . 
 
10.  In case of other claims incoming, the claims of paragraph 1 may  also be 
brought  before the competent  Many - Member C ourt of first instance.  
 11.  In case of an identical  mark of identical  goods  or services , and of a mark  
that varies  in elements  which do not alter  its distinctive  character , the 
production of the contested mark Registration Certificate is sufficient for 
the full  proof  of infringement . 
  
Article 151 
 
Evidence 
 
 
1.  When one party has duly presented the available evidence being 
sufficient  to support  the claims  of the trade mark infringement,  while  he 
invokes evidence being under the defendant ’s control, the judge may, 
upon request  of a party , order the production of such evidence by the 
defendant.  The presence of a considerable quantity of goods  under the 
offending signal is deemed to be a valid evidence.  
 
2.  If there is any infringement  of the mark  on a commercial  scale,  the court 
may also, upon request of a party , order the communication of bank , 
financial or commercial documents  being under the control  of the 
defendant party .
 
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22 
 3.  In any case and upon request of the defendant party for information 
provision, t he court  takes the appropriate measures to ensure the 
protection of confidential information.  
 
4. In case of trade mark infringement  and upon a justified request of any party 
submitted in the same time with the action or independently in interim 
measures  proceedings , even before the hearing day, the Court may order 
the defendant to provide information on the origin and distribution 
networks  of the goods  or provision of services  affect ing the mark . The 
same also applies against any other person who: 
a) was found in possession of  illegal  goods  on a commercial scale,  
b) was found to be using the infringing services on a commercial  scale , 
c) was found to provide on a commercial  scale services  used to infringe 
the mark or  
d) was duly  designated by a person according to three cases  above as 
actively  involved in the production,  manufacture or distribution of  goods 
or the provision of services produced or provided on a c ommercial 
scale.  
5.  The information referred to in paragraph 4 shall include,  where 
appropriate:  
a) the names  and addresses of the producers, manufacturers,  
distributors, suppliers and other  previous proprietors of the product or  
service, as well as the recipients  wholesalers  and r etailers , 
b) information on the quantities produced,  manufactured, delivered, 
received or ordered, as well  as the price of the said goods  or 
services.  
 6.  The persons referred to in Articles  401 and 402 of the Code of  Civil 
Procedure, may  refuse to provide  the above requested information.  
 7.  Paragraphs  3 and 4 apply  without  prejudice to other  provisions which:  
a) provide to the proprietor the rights  to receive fuller information,  
b) in case of civil  or criminal  proceedings  govern the use of the 
informati on communicated under paragraphs  3 and 4,  
c) govern the responsibility for abusive exercise of the right to information 
or 
d) govern the protection of confidentiality of  the information sources or the 
processing of personal  data.  
 
8. If a party  is invited  and unreasonably  fails to provide the evidence referred 
to in paragraphs 1 and 2,  the corresponding for proof allegations of the 
other party who requested the production or disclosure of evidence are 
deemed to be confessed.   Whoever  unjustifiably  infringes  the court  order  
referred to in paragraphs  1 to 3, is also ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 to 
100,000 euros , together with the court  costs.  
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23 
 9.  Where a party liable to information provision provides  inaccurate 
information, whether intentionally or through gr oss negligence,  is liable  for 
the loss  caused due to specific reason.  
 
10.  The information obtained pursuant to t his Article  may not be used for the 
prosecution of the person liable for information.  
 
 
Article 152 
 
Judicial costs  
 
 
In the cases  of the pres ent  law the general costs and fees  include mandatory 
and any other  associated costs,  such as costs  of witnesses,  attorneys ' fees, 
fees of experts and technical  advisers of the parties  and the costs for  the 
discovery of  infringers , duly paid by the successful party . In other respects, 
the provisions  of Articles  173 to 193 of the Code of  Civil Procedure apply . 
 
 
Article 153 
 
Protective measures  
 
 
1.  Anyone has a right to remov al and omission  due to infringement  may 
apply for protective measures . 
 2.  The pr oprietor  may request the seizure  or temporary  return of the 
goods  under the offending hallmark in order to prevent their entry  or 
marketing in the distribution network.  
 3.  In case of  an infringement committed on a commercial scale and if the 
proprietor  proves the existence of  circumstances likely to jeopardize the 
payment  of compensation requested by a regular  action and duly produces 
the available evidence that his mark is being infringed or is threatened  to be 
infringed, the competent court  may order  the conservative seizing  of the 
defendant ’s assets,  as well as the freezing of  his bank  accounts.  For this 
purpose it request s the infringer  to communicate his banking,  financial or 
commercial  documents, or to allow an appropriate access to the relevant 
information provided the protection of the confidential data.  
 
4.  The protective measures  of the preceding paragraphs  may be order ed 
without prior  hearing of the defendant,  in particular where any  delay  would 
cause irreparable harm to the proprietor of the m ark.
 
 
5.  In order for  the court  to take the above measures  it may require the 
applicant  to provide any duly  available evidence to conclude that  the right is COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
24 
 being infringed or that  such infringement is threatened.  In any  case 
paragraphs  4 to 7 of Article  154 apply  in respect of this fact . 
 
6.  The trademark application filing by the person against whom  the 
application for protective measures  is addressed, shall not prevent  any 
protective measure against him . 
 7.  The Single Member Court  of First Instance o f the district where the 
goods or the rendering of services are found shall have jurisdiction to grant  
protective measures together with the one of the district where the company 
of the above infringing goods or services is seated.  
 
8.  The proprietor  may apply for protective measures  against  the 
intermediary persons  whose services are used by a third party  for the 
infringement of his mark.  
  
Article 154 
 
Measures  to preserve evidence 
 
 
1.  If an infringement  or threatened infringement of a trade mark  is 
sufficiently  probable according to duly  available evidence and any delay would 
irreparabl y harm  the proprietor  of the mark  or there is a real  risk for the 
evidence to be destroyed, the Single Member First Instance Court  may order  
as a precautionary measure the seizure  of the illegal  products  held by the 
defendant and, if appropriate,  the m aterial  and tools  which constitute the 
means  of committing, or any product or  evidence of infringement . Instead of  
the seizure, the court may order the detailed inventory of  such items  as well 
as their photographing, take samples  of the above products , and obtain the 
related documents.  In these cases the court  may decide on the request 
without  summoning the person against  whom the injunction is addressed 
according to Article  691 paragraph 2 of the Civil Procedure Code.  
 
2.  If these measures  are appropriate for the applicant  to prove the claims  
for the infringement of  the mark, the court  shall order  the above measures  
along with the ensuring the protection of the confidential  information.  
 3.  The proprietor ’s request  does not require the detailed identification of  
the evidence, however its identif ication by category  is sufficient . 
 
4.  If the above measures  are taken without  hearing the defendant , he 
receives a notification for his information, which is sent  not later than the first 
working day after the execution of the temporary  protective measures , 
otherwise the procedural acts which constitute it are invalid.  
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25 
 5.  The court  may order  the above measures, according to a guarantee set 
by itself or attached to the injunction which is  given by the applicant to ensure 
the restoring of damages  that may  be suffered by the defendant  due to these 
measures.  
 
6.  In the cases of  paragraph 1, the court  sets a mandatory  deadline for 
the action of the main case, which cannot be exceed the thirty days . If the 
deadline expires , the protective measure becomes automatically  invalid . 
 
7. If the above injunctions are revoked or cease to apply due to any act or 
omission by the applicant, or if it is  retrospectively ascertained that there was 
no infringement or threat of infringement for the rights of the trademark 
proprietor , the court may order the applicant, upon application by the 
defendant, to pay him in full compensation for any incurred losses.  
 
 
Article 155 
 
Proportionality  
  
Regulations , sanctions and measures as per Articles  150 to 154 are under  the 
principle of  proportionality.  
 
 
 
Section 156 
Sanctions  
 
1.Ηe is prosecuted by indictment and is punishe d by imprisonment for at least 
six months and a fine of at least six thousand euros : a) anyone who 
intentionally uses a mark in infringement  of Article 125 paragraph 3 case a or 
b, b) anyone who uses a reputation mark , in infringement  of Article 125 
paragraph 3 case c with intent to exploit or har m its reputation, c) anyone who 
intentionally  puts into circulation, owns, imports or exports goods bearing the 
trade mark  of another proprietor  or provides a service under the trade mark  of 
another proprietor  and d) anyone who intentionally  commits one of  the acts  
laid down in article  125 paragraph 4 cases a, b and c  
 
2. I f the benefit sought or damage threatened by the acts referred to in 
paragraph 1 is very important and there is an exploitation on a commercial 
scale or the defendant  commits these acts professionally,  there is an 
imprisonment of at least two years and a fine of 6,000 to 30,000 euros. This 
provision applies only to trade mark infringement under  the same hallmark 
and to identity or similarity of goods.  
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26 
 3. Anyone who uses the symbols and signs referred to case a of paragraph 3 
of Article 123 shall be prosecuted ex officio and punishable by a fine not 
exceeding the 2,000 €. 
 
4. The attempt of commit ting the above acts  is punishable by a penalty  
reduc ed as per the penalty of the above paragraphs . 
 
Article 157 
 
Publication of judgment s 
 
 
1. The judgment s of civil courts or final judgment s of criminal courts relating to 
rights provided in Part III of this Low  may, at the request of the applicant and 
at the expense of the offending the mark  party , order  the appropriate 
measures for the dissemination of information concerning the judgment  as 
well as the posting of judgment, its  full or partial publication in the media or on 
the internet. The court shall decide the appropriate means of information, 
respecting the principle of proportionality.  
 
2. This  claim is extinguished if the measures for the disclosure of judgment  
are not taken within six months from the publication of the judgment . 
 
 
Article 158 
 
Jurisdiction of Civil Courts  
 
 
1. The civil courts have no jurisdiction,  where, in accordance with this Act,  
there is a jurisdiction of the Trademark Office, the Administrative Trademark 
Committee and the Administrative Courts.  
 
2. There is no right of appeal against t he decisions of the Trademark Office 
and the Administrative Trademark Committee, and the final judgements  of 
administrative tribunals, issued under this Law, are binding for the civil courts 
or any other authority   
 
 
CHAPTER F  
 
SURRENDER, INVALIDITY, CANCELLATION 
 
Article 159 
 
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27 
 1. The right to the mark is extinguished by a statement  of the proprietor  
waiving of all or part of the goods or services in respect of which it is 
registered.  
 
2. The surrender shall be declared in writing to the Trademark Office by the 
proprietor . It takes effect onl y after its registration in the Office books.  
 
3. If licenses of use have been granted, the statement of surrender is 
accepted only if the proprietor  shows that  the licensees are informed about his 
intention to waive his rights to the mark.  
 
Article 160 
 
Grounds for invalidity  
 
 
1. The proprietor  is deprived of his  right in whole or in part:  
 
A. if, within a period of five years following the registration of a trade mark, the 
proprietor  has not put it to genuine use in connection with the goods or 
services in respect of which it  is registered, or if he has suspended the use of 
the mark for five consecutive years . 
 
B. if, in consequence of acts or inactivity of the proprietor, the trade mark has 
become the common name in the trade for a product or service in respect of 
which it is registered,  
 
C. if, in consequence of the trade mark use made by the proprietor or with his 
consent in respect of the goods or services for which it is registered, the trade mark is liable to mislead the public, particularly as to the nature, quality or geographical origin of those goods or services.
 
 
2. Where the ground for invalidity exists in respect of only  some of the goods 
or services for which the trade mark is registered, the trade mark shall be 
declared invalid as  regards those goods or services only.  
 
3. Not result in invalidity : 
 
a. If the proprietor  shows  that the non-use of the mark  is due to reasonable 
cause,  
 
b. If the proprietor  of the trade mark during the interval between the expiry of 
the five-year period of non-use and the filing of the application for invalidity , 
made a commencement or resumption of genuine use. The commencement 
or resumption of use within a period of  three months preceding the filing of the 
application which began at the earliest on expiry of the c ontinuous period of 
five years of non-use shall, however,  be disregarded, where the preparations 
for the commencement or resumption took place after the proprietor  becomes 
aware that an application for invalidity may be filed.  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
28 
  
4. The effect  of the decision to remove the mark due to invalidity  starts  from 
the date where the decision becomes final.  
 
5. The final decision regarding the invalidity  of the mark  enters in the register 
of trade marks and the mark is removed from it. 
 
Article 161  
 
Grounds for cancellation 
 
 
1.The mark is invalid and is cancelled if registered, in infringement of the 
provisions of Articles 123 and 124.  
 
2. If the ground for cancellation relates to only a part of goods or services for 
which it is registered, the trade mark shall be declared cancelled only for 
specific goods or services.  
 
3. This mark is not declared cancelled if the ground for refusal laid down in 
Article 123 paragraph 1 b, c and d does not exist at the time of filing the 
application for cancellation because the mark has acquired a distinctive 
character through use.  
 
4.It is also  subject to cancellation a national mark for  which an application for 
seniority has been accepted by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal 
Market pursuant to Articles 34 and 35 of Council  Regulation 207/2009/EC  (L 
78), even if a surrender  of the earlier national mark  or a non-renewal of 
protection, is preceded . 
 
5. The effect s of the decision for the cancellation of the mark enter into force 
from the date it became final.  
 
6. The final decision regarding the cancellation of mark  enters  in the register 
of trade marks and the mark is removed from it.  
 
 
Article 162 
 
Procedure of invalidity  or cancellation 
 
1. The application for invalidity or cancellation is filed by anyone having a 
legitimat e interest before the Administrative Trademark Committee.  
 
2. The chambers and consumer associations or their members can file  an 
application for invalidity or cancellation only in cases of articles 123 and 160 
paragraph 1, subparagraph c.  
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29 
 3. The person w ho has  raised the grounds of Article 124 during the 
registration procedure is n ot entitled to file a  cancellation application,  
whereas these grounds  have been a subject  of judgment before  the Trade 
Marks Administrative Committee  or the administrative tr ibunals according to a  
litigation procedure between the opponent  and  the mark proprietor . 
 
4. The application for cancellation on grounds of Article 161 is filed within five 
years of the registration of the mark. The application for cancellation due to an 
application filed contrary to the good faith or in bad faith, is filed throughout 
the duration of the mark  protection.  
 
CHAPTER G 
 
COLLECTIVE  MARKS 
 
Article 163 
 
Requirements for Protection 
 
1. The Cooperatives, associations of manufacturers, producers, suppliers of 
services, or traders which, under t he law that governs them have a legal 
capacity, as well as legal persons governed by public law rules, can file 
applications for  trademarks registration in order to distinguish the origin of 
goods or services of their members or the geographical origin, the kind, 
the quality or properties  of such goods or services . 
 
2. Since the collective mark consists of a geographical indication shall be 
provided in the statutes of the legal entity that any person whose goods or 
services come from the same geographic regi on and meets  the conditions of 
a collective mark use , may become a member of the legal entity  and make 
use of the collective mark.  
 
3. A collective mark consisting of geographical indications, does not give the 
proprietor  the right to prevent third parties from using such signs or 
indications, especially third parties allowed to use geographical names, 
provided that these third parties use them in accordance with the honest 
practices of the trade.  
 
4. The filing of a collective mark application must be ac companied by a 
Regulation of use, which contains the title,  the location, the purpose, the 
name of the legal representatives, a nominal list of members entitled to the 
use as well as the terms and conditions of the members  rights and obligations 
concerning  the use of the mark. A Regulation of use is also required for any 
change of the above elements . 
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30 
 5. The claims arising from the registration of a collective mark belong, unless 
otherwise specified in the statute or Regulation of use, to the proprietor  legal 
entity.  
 
6. A particular Trade Marks Register  is kept for collective marks,  and the fees 
for the rights of application and extension filing are at any time five times more 
than the fees pay able for rights to other marks . 
 7. The use of the collective mark is necessar ily made under the indication 
"collective mark".  
 8. In collective marks all provisions hereof  are applicable, if not contrary to the 
provisions of this article.  
 
CHAPTER H  
INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARKS 
 
Article 164 
 
Madrid Protocol  Ratification 
  
1. The international  trademarks  filed in accordance with the Protocol  
concerning the Madrid Agreement  for the international  registration of trade 
marks  are protected by the provisions  of Law  2783/2000 (A 1).  
 2. The provisions of this Law  for the national trade marks  are also applicable 
to the international  trade marks  unless  otherwise specified in this  chapter  
 
Article 165 
 
Definitions  
 
For the purposes of this law  on international  trade marks  apply as:  
 
a. "Application for Conversion ", the application of Article 173 of the present  
Law. 
 
b. "basic registration" and " Basic Application" , registration and application as 
referred to in Article 166 par. 1 item b of this Law . 
 c "Office of Origin" , the Office of a Madrid Protocol  Contracting Party which is 
responsible for the registration of marks  on its behalf.  
 d. "International Application" an application to the International Bureau for 
registration of a trade mark in the International Register  
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31 
 e. "International Bureau" means the International Bureau of the World 
Intellectual Property Organization.  
 
f. "International Register" the register of trade marks maintained by the 
International Bureau for the purposes of the Madrid Protocol.  
 
g. "International Registration" means registration of a mark in the International 
Register.  
 
h. "International Registration of seeking trademark protection in the Greek 
Territory", the international registration requesting the extension of the 
protection in the Greek Territory under Article 3ter (1) or (2) of the Madrid 
Protocol.  
i 'Implementing Regulation', Joint Regulation adopted pursuant to Article 10 of 
the Madrid Protocol , as ratified by Law  2783/2000 (A1). 
 
j "Book  of International  Trade Marks ' book  referred to in Article 171 paragraph 
2 of this  Law. 
 
Article 166 
 
Filing of an application 
 
1. For  the international registration of Greek trade marks Greece is 
considered as the country of origin of the international registration, when the 
following conditions are met:  
 
A. The applicant has a real and permanent industrial or com mercial 
establishment or domicile in Greece or is a Greek national.  
 
B. He has filed a trade mark application or he has a registered trademark in 
Greece.  
 
2. An application for international registration is filed in French or English.  
 
Article 167 
 
Application documents  
 
An application for international registration is filed in two copies (ANNEX VI) 
and must be presented on the form prescribed by the Implementing Regulation . 
It is s igned by the applicant or his attorney in accordance with the written 
instru ctions that came with it and contains the necessary  information referred 
to in Article 9 of the Implementing Regulation. It shall also be filed in electronic 
form, by a CD-ROM or other appropriate electronic storage medium which is 
delivered to the competent  Office  
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32 
 Article 168 
 
Examination of formal requirements.  Forwarding of the application 
 
 
1. An application for international registration is filed in the Trademark Office, 
which checks whether there are the conditions of Article 166, gives for it a 
reference number and indicate thereon the date of receipt, and the number of 
accompanying documents.  
 
2. The application for international registration with attachments is forwarded 
to the International Bureau within two months of receipt.  
 
Article  169 
 
Date of International Registration 
 
The registration of the international application is effectuated by the 
International  Office.  The date of  the international  registration shall be the date 
on which the international application was received by the Office of 
tradem arks, provided that  within two (2) months  from the date of receipt  the 
International Bureau received it  on a regular and complete form . If an 
application for international registration is not received within this period, the 
international registration shall bear  as the date of registration the date on 
which the application was received by the International Bureau. 
 
Article 170 
 
Payment of fees  
 
Fees for international registration or renewal thereof, and any variation 
thereon are paid directly to the Int ernational Bureau  
 
Article 171 
 
Procedure of internat ional registration protection in the Greek Territory  
 
1. The Trade Mark Office is competent to decide t o provide protection of an 
international registration in the Greek territory.  
2. The international registration as well as the expansion of international 
registration application in the Greek territory enter  on a particular printed form 
and is posted on the website of the SGC.  
3. If replacing a national mark by an international registration with effect in 
Greece, substantive rights under the international trade mark are referred to 
the date of registration of the national trade mark.  
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 Article 172 
 
Remedies  
 
1. During the Appeal proceedings before the Trade Marks Administrative 
Committee (DES), in accordance with article 144, of  objection, under Article 
140, as well as of  invalidity or cancellation under Article 162, the proprietor  of 
an international registration, as the applicant  or the defendant against whom  
the application for  these remedies  is addressed, should appoint an  attorney 
and a lawyer  established in the Greek territory  where all the notifications  are 
sent. The same applies if the examiner  communicat es to the applicant a 
provisional refusal under Rule 17.1 of the Protocol  Implementing Regulation, 
inviting him to file observations pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 139. For 
international trade marks, under paragraph 2 of Article 139, a time limit  of 
three months  is set . 
 
2. If the applicant or the proprietor  of an international  registration are not 
represented by an attorney in the procedures of paragraph 1, an admittance is 
not presumed and DES hears the appeal , as if the parties were present.  
 
3. If there is an objection to an application for international registration, the 
Trademark Office shall  notify the objection elements as  a provisional refusal 
to the International Bureau in accordance with Article 5 of the Madrid Protocol 
and Rule 17 of the Implementing Regulation.  
 
4. If the application of international registration is rejected, the Tradem ark 
Office shall notify the refusal to the International Bureau under Rule 17.1 and 17.3 of the Protocol  Implementing Regulation. The notification shall be 
accompanied by a translation into English or French language of the relevant provisions of Greek  Law providing for appeal. The appeal is filed within ninety 
days commencing from the day of notification of provisional refusal to the International Bureau.
 
 
Article 173 
 
Procedure of a c onversion of an international trade mark application into a 
national  application 
 
1. If either the basic application or the basic registration on  which the 
application for an international trade mark with  expansion in Greece  is 
based, is no longer valid in the country of origin within five years from the date 
of the international registration, the proprietor of the international regist ration 
may request the conversion into  a national application (Annex VII),  within 
three months from the date on which  the expiry  of the registration entered in 
the trademark Register  of the International Bureau.  COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
34 
 2. The provision of paragraph 1 shall also apply if the expiry occurs after the 
said period of five years, provided that the action for a remedy was submitted 
in the country of origin within the five years  period. 
3. In case of conversion of an international registration into a national 
application, the applicant shall file  an application for  conversion to the Trade 
Mark  Office  accompanied by the documents referred to in paragraph 1 of 
Articles 135 and 136, and a certificate of  the International Office, from which 
arise the mark and the goods or services for which the international trade 
mark protection has been  sought in Greece, before its removal  from the 
international Register   as well as  the date of its removal  from the 
international Register . 
4. In accordance of Articles 135 and 136 applied proportionately  to, the 
application is filed on a standard form and is entered in its trade mark 
Register.  
5. The converted trade mark is registered without examination, if the time lim it 
laid down in Article 5 paragraph 2c of the Madrid Protocol has expired and 
there is no action for a remedy . If this time limit has not expired or a temporary 
refusal has  already  been notified, the c onversion application is examined by 
the Trademark Offi ce, the articles 138 and 139 applied proportionately to . If 
an application for original or supervening expansion of an international trade 
mark protection in Greece is pending before the Trademark Office, the 
Administrative Trademark Committee or the competent courts, the relative 
procedure stops or the trial is dismissed after the filing of the application for 
conversion.  
6. After the filing of the application for conversion the international registration 
is removed from the international trade marks books  by an act of the 
trademark s Office  
7. The trade mark protection arising from a conversion of an international 
registration into a national trade mark application lasts for a decade, starting 
either from the date of the international registration or in case of an 
international trade mark s ubsequent expansion in Greece, from the date on 
which the application for the expansion of the international trade mark 
protection in Greece has been entered  in the International Register .  For the 
renewal of such trade marks the important date is the day of application filing 
in the T rademark s Office.  
 
 
Article 174 
 
Procedure of invalidity or cancellation of an international trade mark  
 
1. The right granted by the international registration i s extinguished by a 
decision of the Administrative Trademark Committee or the Administrative 
Tribunals on the grounds specified in Articles 160 and 161. When the decision 
becomes final, the Trademark s Office  informs the International Bureau by a 
statement, stating the name of the proprietor , the number of the international 
registration, the judiciary  authority  and the procedure of invalidity , the final COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
35 
 decision, its entry into force and the goods or services covered by the Rule 19 
of the Implementing Regulation.  
 
2. The notice of appli cation for invalidity or  cancellation against an 
international trademark is notified by the applicant to  the international 
applicant or his representative, as indicat ed in the International Register, by 
all appropriate means, including fax and email, translated by the Foreign 
Ministry or the party seeking the injunction in the English or French language,  
thirty days before the date set for the first hearing. If  an attorney or  
attorney in Greece has been appointed, the legal document shall  be notified 
only to him, by a bailiff, without translation. The additional grounds are notified 
ten days before the designated first hearing in the same way as the 
application for invalidity or cancellation against an international trademark . 
The same goes for summons is sued before the magistrate or notary or 
consul.  
 
 
CHAPTER I  
 
COMMUNITY TRADE MARK  
 
Article 175 
 
Protection 
 
1. The protection granted to a community trade mark does not  may fall short 
of the protection granted to the national trade mark.  
2. If a Community trade mark  seniority is based on a registered national trade 
mark , the substantive rights under a registered and valid Community trade 
mark refer to the time of registration of the national trade mark.  
 
Article 176 
CTM conversion   into a national  one. 
 
1. In case of conversion of a CTM application or  of a CTM into  a national 
application, the applicant files  a conversion application  to the Trademark s 
Office  accompanied by the documents specified in paragraph 1 of Article 135, 
paragr aphs 1 and 2 of Article 136, as well as of  a translation in Greek of the 
conversion application and of attached  documents , by an authorized for the 
translation person or authority according to the law. 
 
2. The time limit  for the filing of these documents is two months as from t he 
notification by the Trademark Office to the trade mark applicant or proprietor  
or its lawyer attorney in Greece as he is mentioned in the conversion 
application, by a letter with acknowledgment of receipt . 
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 3. The application is filed on a standard form, the form and content of which is 
specified in the attached ANNEX VIII under the title APPLICATION FOR A 
COMMUNITY TRADE MARK CONVERSION hereof. The application is  
entered in the relevant register of trade marks, the Articles 137, 138 and 139 
applied proportionately.  
 
4. The mark protection arising from a conversion of a CTM application or a 
CTM conversion into a national application is referred  to the filing date of the 
CTM application or the priority date of the application or  of the Community 
trade mark and eventually to the seniority of the  national mark that may  be 
claimed. For the renewal of such trade marks the important date is the day of 
filing the application for conversion in the Office for Harmonization in the 
Internal Market . 
 
CHAPTER I  
 
TRADE MARKS OF FOREIGN APPLICANTS 
 
Article 177 
 
Protection 
 
1. The trade marks proprietors  whose business establishment is outside of 
Greece, are protected by the provisions of this Law.  
2. Concerning tradem arks applications which are filed  accompanied by a 
priority claim , under the International Paris Convention (Law 213/1975),  
the acknowledgment of the trademark  receipt in the foreign state may be 
submitted not later than three months from the filing of the trademark  
application in Greece. 
3. For protection in Greece it is also required to file an application   according 
to the provisions of this Law. 
4. The closing time for objections of foreign trademark s proprietors  against  the 
decisions of the Trademark Office or of the Administrative Trademark 
Committee is extended by thirty days.  
5. For the application filing is  sufficient  to provide the written authorization as it 
is referred to in case D of paragraph 1 of Article 136 accompanied by a 
statement for submission to the jurisdiction of the courts of Athens.  This 
statement can be replaced by a written statement of the applicant's attorney to 
the T rademark  Office . 
6. Foreign documents attached to the filing of  a trade mark  application shall 
be accompanied by a Greek translation effectuated by an authorized for  the 
translation person or authori ty in accordance with the law.  
 
CHAPTER IA 
SPECIAL, TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS COURTESY TRANSLATION  
 
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Article 178 
Publications 
 
The publications provided by this Law , are made on the website of the 
General Secretariat of the Ministry of Development, Competitiveness, 
Infrastructure, Transport and Networks  
 
Article 179 
 
Fees 
 
1. The fees payable in favor of the State for trade mark s are as follows:  
 
a. Filing of a trade mark  application 110 € 
b. For each additional class until the tenth 20 € 
c. Filing an application for conversion of a CTM  or an international trademark 
or for division 110 € 
d. For each additional class until the tenth 20 € 
e. Extension of trademark  protection 90 € 
f. For each additional class  until the tenth 20 € 
g. Change of company’s name or  of its legal status,  residence or 
headquarters  50 € 
h. Limitatio n of goods or services 20 € 
i. Trademark transfer  90 € 
j Trademark  licensing 90 € 
k. Registration of restrictions  concerning the right under Article 129 
and the propert y rights under Article 133 par.1  40 € 
l. Transmission of a CTM application 15 € 
m. Examination and transmission of an International Application 15 € 
n. Replacing of a national trademark  by an international  one 110 € 
o. Filing of  appeal for  remedies and applications before the Administrative 
Trade marks Committee 70 € 
p. Fees for remedies and applications before the Administrative Trade marks 
Committee 40 € 
q. Restitutio in integrum   110 € 
r. Trademark duplicate 1 € 
 2. By joint decision of the Ministers of Finance and Development, 
Competitiveness , Infrastructure, Transport and Networks  the charges for the 
State as specified in the preceding paragraph, can be readjusted.
 
 
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 Article 180 
 
Classification of goods and services  
 
The goods and services  in respect of which trade mark applications are filed 
are classified according to the International  Classification of Goods  and 
Services  of the Nice Agreement, which was ratified by the first article of Law  
2505/1997 (A 118).  Upon entry into force of this Law the applicable 
classification  appears  in the attached ANNEX IX «CLASSES OF GOOD S 
AND SERVICES."  
  
Article 181 
Authorizing provision 
 
The Minister of  Development , Competitiveness Infrastructure, Transport and 
Networks decides for the following issues  in the Third Part of this Law :  a) the 
number of Administrative Trademarks Committee Departments , b) the 
selection criteria and qualification of Trademark  Office employees  acting as  
examiner s, c) the appointment  of members of the Administrative Trademarks 
Committee Departments  and their substitu tes, d) conditions  of keeping the 
trademarks electronic R egister, which once completed will replace the 
tradem arks printed R egister  e) the manner of filing and examination of sound 
and three-dimensional trademarks  and f ) any matter relating to the 
implementation of this law . 
 
Article 182 
 
Transitional provisions  
 
1. Upon entry into force of this  Law the outstanding cases before the 
Administrative Trademark Committee and the Administrative Courts, are 
governed by the provisions of the preceding law.  
 
2. The decisions  which are published after the entry into force of this Law and 
for six months are subject to appeal, intervention and third-party proceedings 
in accordance with the pre-existing law.  
 
3. As to the starting of time  limits , are applicable the provisions  which were in 
force at the time when the event causing the above provisions  occurred. 
 
 4. The length of time that had begun before the e ntry into force of this Law , 
shall be calculated in accordance with its provisions, only if the length 
provided by the said provisions is greater than the one predicted by previous 
versions.  
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 5. Trademarks  that have not been irrevocably accepted upon entry  into force 
of this Law , are examined concerning the conditions of admissibility under 
preexisting law.  
 
6. The possibility of Restitutio in integrum , in accordance with Article 149 
applies only where the impediment that resulted in the loss of any right or 
remedy exercise period, as specified in the provision, occurred after the entry 
into force of this Law. 
 
7. The possibility of division applies to trademarks  filed or registered before 
the entry into force of this Law. 
 
8. The possibility of submitting a written consent before the administrative 
courts in accordance with Article 124 paragraph 4, covers the outstanding 
litigations as well until the entry into force of this Law. 
 
9. Trademarks filed or registered until the entry into force of this Law  as a 
parallel  application filing or registration of  another, former trademark , are in 
force and protected under this law. The status of a trademark parallel filing  or 
registration is not affected if the former mark of which it is the parallel  filing  or 
registration, is no longer in force due to a non-renewal, unless the former 
mark is irrevocably removed on the grounds  of Articles 123 and 124.  
 
Article 183 
 
Repeals  
 
Since the entry into force of Chapters D, H and I and Articles 179 and 181, the 
provisions of Law 2239/1994 (A 152), PD 353/1998 (A 235), Article 9 of the 
Royal Decree 20/27.12.1939 (A 553)  are repealed as well as any other 
general or special provision contrary to the above chapters  or concerning  
matters governed by them. The removal of the remaining provisions of these 
laws and regulations enters into force by the publication of this  Law in the 
Government Gazette.