EU Intellectual Property Office rejects AfD trademark appeals

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has rejected appeals from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party regarding the trademark protection of its logo and the abbreviation “AfD”. The first Board of Appeal in Alicante confirmed previous decisions from October 2025, which declared the marks lapsed due to a lack of “genuine use” as trademarks.

The dispute originated from a September 2023 application by a Berlin law firm seeking to invalidate three of the party's trademarks. While the AfD argued that the sale of merchandise, such as T-shirts, pens, and mugs, constituted sufficient use, the EUIPO ruled that many of these items were primarily used as promotional materials rather than as indicators of commercial origin.

The ruling specifically concerns the commercial use of these symbols as trademarks and does not affect the party's name rights. The AfD stated that its name and logo remain protected through other German and Union trademarks and name rights. The party has not yet confirmed whether it will appeal the decision to the Court of Justice of the European Union.