40% of trademark applications in Spain receive an opposition

40% of trademark applications in Spain receive an opposition. Most could be avoided with a 5-minute search. If you're choosing a name, follow this order: 1️⃣ OEPM: the national trademark search engine. Also search for phonetic variants (if your brand is "Zafiro", also search for "Safiro" or "Zafyro"; phonetic similarity is the number one cause of refusal). 2️⃣ TMview: European database. A trademark registered with the EUIPO is valid in Spain even if it doesn't appear in the national search engine. 3️⃣ Nice Classes: it's not enough for the name to be available, it must be available in your sector. Two identical brands can coexist if they sell completely different things. Just because the name is free on Google or Instagram doesn't mean it's legally available. Do your homework before investing in branding. Did you ever check your trademark with these tools, or did you dive straight in?