Once a trademark is registered by a national trademark office it may be idicated as such, and legally enforced in that territory for the term of the registration. This term varies between countries, but may generally be renewed indefinitely, as long as the trademark is used by the registered owner with the originally specified goods and services.

Details of both trademark applications and newly registered trademarks are published regularly by national trademark offices. This enables the owners of trademarks or trademark applications to assertain similarities with recently published trademarks, to file an opposition and if so to have the younger trademark cancelled.

In Europe the Office for the Harmonisation of the Internal Market (OHIM) examines and registers Community Trademark applications within the European Union. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO, based in Geneva, Switzerland) examines and registers International Trademark applications filed under the provisions of the Paris Convention.