Trademark registration with the BOIP: why and when do you do this for bol?

If you sell products on a platform like bol, registering your brand with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) can be an important step to protect and grow your business. We explain why trademark registration matters, when to do it, and how the process works. It’s part of building a private label brand seriously.

Why does trademark registration matter?

Registering your brand with the BOIP offers several advantages. First, you get exclusive rights to your brand: you’re the only one allowed to use it for the products or services it’s registered for. That protects you against competitors who want to use similar brands and helps prevent confusion among consumers.

Trademark registration also helps you sell your products more effectively on a platform like bol. When you register your brand with bol, you get more control over your product information on the platform. Other sellers can’t simply change your product information, and bol can act faster on issues or disputes if you’re registered as brand owner.

When should you register your brand?

According to bol’s brand guidelines, if you want to sell branded products on bol, your brand must be registered at the moment you add your first product. If it isn’t, it becomes an unbranded product. You can’t turn it into a branded product later.

With a registered brand you also prevent other sellers from changing your product information or selling similar products under your brand name. Also think of your GS1 EAN codes here, which are likewise registered to your company name.

How do you register your brand with the BOIP?

You apply for your trademark online with the BOIP. A registration costs 244 euros for the first class of products or services and is valid for 10 years. The second class costs 27 euros, each class after that 81 euros.

After your application, the BOIP checks whether your brand meets the legal rules, for example that it isn’t descriptive. Whether a similar brand already exists is something you check yourself beforehand: according to the BOIP’s explanation of the procedure, owners of earlier trademarks can object for two months after your application is published. How to check that is explained in the blog on choosing a brand name. If your brand meets the rules and there is no objection, it is registered and you receive a certificate of registration.

Important to know: your brand is only protected in the product or service categories you registered it for. If you don’t actively use your brand name in those categories within five years, your protection can be withdrawn.

Can it go faster?

According to the BOIP, a regular registration takes 3 months on average. If that takes too long, you can opt for an expedited registration. It costs from 440 euros; a regular application costs from 244 euros. If your application is in order, your brand is entered in the register right away. Only after that does the BOIP check whether your name can be a trademark, and only then can owners of earlier trademarks object. If either goes against you, your registration is cancelled. You won’t get the fees back.

How do you become a brand owner on bol?

Once your brand is registered with the BOIP, you can submit an application to bol to become brand owner. That gives you more control over your product information. According to bol’s registration page, it works like this:

1. Check that the product information for all your products is current and correct.
2. Register through the registration form on the partner platform.
3. If you are an official distributor, upload a Bill of Authority signed by you and the brand owner.
4. Indicate whether you want your product information to be protected.
5. You get a confirmation within 5 working days.

Bol also looks at the class. According to bol’s rules on trademark rights, your brand must be in a product class, so class 1 to 34. Classes 35 to 45 are for services and don’t count. Your product must fall under the goods you listed in your registration. Your registration must also be valid in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The brand registration on bol protects your title, description, specifications and images. Other sellers can still offer your branded products, according to bol. Bol only protects products whose brand name exactly matches the name on the registration form. So use the same spelling for all your products.

With a brand registration on bol you also get control over the product information for your own branded products. That can then no longer be changed by a third party, so your branded products are shown consistently everywhere and the brand experience for the customer stays consistent. Note: that protection applies to all your branded products, so also products you may no longer sell yourself but other sellers do. That product information also has to be current and accurate.