To track a trademark renewal, connect the official deadline with the owner’s instructions, a responsible person and evidence of the work completed. This guide is for law firms and in-house IP teams coordinating those records across multiple matters and territories.
It brings together key timing considerations, an adaptable tracking table and a worked example to help your team distinguish an outstanding decision, a submitted request and a verified renewal.
Why a renewal calendar is only part of the process
A calendar shows when an action is due. It does not necessarily show what has been decided or what is holding up progress. An instruction may sit in an inbox, a document in a shared folder and an update in a spreadsheet maintained by one colleague.
The challenge is connecting that information. A trademark may appear on the upcoming renewals list while the owner’s decision is still outstanding. Conversely, a matter may be marked as complete as soon as a request is sent, even though the relevant confirmation has not been checked.
Reliable tracking links each deadline to a progress status, a next action and a responsible person. This helps the team prepare renewals, explain outstanding issues and take over a matter when a colleague is away.
A trademark renewal tracking table your team can adapt
Use one row per registration and retain links to the supporting records. The following fields provide a shared starting point, which you can extend to suit your territories and working practices.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Registration | Trademark, registration number, owner, territory, goods and services. |
| Official deadline | Verified date, responsible office, supporting source and verification date. |
| Decision required | Full renewal, partial renewal or non-renewal, to be confirmed by an authorised decision-maker. |
| Instructions received | Approved decision, date, person giving the instruction and link to the confirmation. |
| Budget | Estimated amount, currency, approval and expected payment date. |
| Next action | Specific action, responsible person, backup and internal due date. |
| Progress | To review, awaiting instructions, ready to file, awaiting confirmation or verified. |
| Completion | Evidence, renewed scope, new expiry date and person who checked the outcome. |
Centralising information also means agreeing which record the team should rely on. When a date or instruction changes, update that record and keep the supporting document accessible. This helps prevent colleagues from working with different versions of the same information.
Separate official deadlines from your working timetable
Key dates for normal renewal windows
French, European Union and UK trademarks can be renewed for successive ten-year periods. The filing window varies by office:
- France: the request can be filed during the year before expiry, under INPI’s renewal rules.
- European Union: the request and payment are due within the six months before expiry, according to EUIPO’s renewal guidance.
- United Kingdom: renewal is available during the six months before expiry, according to the official UK renewal service.
These are normal filing windows, excluding additional periods and their conditions. Verify each registration with the relevant office. For a US portfolio, also track the maintenance filings and evidence of use required by the USPTO, which extend beyond ten-year renewals.
For the wider sequence of events, read our guide to the trademark lifecycle and its deadlines.
The deadline for completing a renewal and the dates needed to prepare it serve different purposes. An operational timetable must allow time to check the records, consult the owner, prepare the budget and arrange the renewal.
Distinguish three points for each matter: the deadline applicable to the registration, the date by which a decision is needed and the date of the next internal action. Adapt your working timetable to the territories, people involved and checks required. An internal reminder date must remain clearly distinguishable from an official deadline.
This approach also creates room for a portfolio review before renewal decisions are made. Does the trademark still support a current activity or a planned project? Are the relevant markets still priorities? Have the expected costs been approved? These questions help the owner provide informed instructions.
Build a process that another colleague can pick up
Assign responsibility for the next action
A shared matter needs a named person responsible for progressing it. Define who checks the information, requests instructions, carries out the renewal and verifies the outcome. Another colleague should be able to take over during an absence. Every follow-up should have a recipient, a purpose and a date.
Make decisions visible
Simple labels can help distinguish matters: “to review”, “awaiting instructions”, “renewal approved”, “action completed, awaiting confirmation” and “checked and complete”. These are examples of a working method to adapt to your team. Each label should describe a situation that can be verified.
Worked example: three records, three next actions
This fictional example illustrates the method and does not describe a real client. A team reviews three registrations with renewals to prepare:
- Record A, instructions missing: the person handling the matter asks the owner for a decision and sets an internal follow-up date. The status remains “awaiting instructions”.
- Record B, instructions received but budget approval pending: the approval to renew is saved in the record. The next action is to secure budget approval before arranging the filing.
- Record C, request submitted: the filing receipt is saved. The matter remains open while confirmation is awaited, followed by a check of the outcome.
The review produces an assigned action list. Three matters due in the same renewal period are handled according to what each one actually needs.
Check the outcome before closing the matter
Agree which documents and checks are needed before a renewal can be considered complete. Depending on the matter, a confirmation may still be outstanding, information may need checking against the instructions or a future deadline may need updating. The final status should be supported by evidence the team can consult.
Looking to organise this process in a shared workspace? Explore IPzen in a personalised demonstration.
In the video: why keeping portfolio information together matters.
How IPzen supports renewal tracking
IPzen brings together trademark portfolio management, file and document management, and an agenda for tracking deadlines. Its search tools let users find trademarks by criteria including expiry date, registration number, class and geographical area.
These functions provide a basis for identifying registrations to review, consulting relevant information and organising upcoming actions. Their usefulness also depends on the quality of the records and the team’s working rules: who updates an instruction, how a change is checked and where to find the documents supporting a decision.
Use your everyday needs as the starting point for a demonstration: finding trademarks for a given period, consulting their documents and reviewing associated deadlines. This makes it easier to assess how the software would fit into your organisation.
Review outstanding issues to prepare for the next deadline
A regular review should highlight three things: outstanding decisions, overdue internal actions and confirmations still awaited. Count the affected records, identify the responsible people and check their next actions. Keep the list of upcoming official deadlines alongside these indicators.
Before closing the review, check five points: every deadline has a source, every decision has a record, every action has an owner, every filing has evidence and every closed matter has a verified outcome. Your team can use this as a shared completion checklist.
This discipline supports the wider task of managing a trademark portfolio. It helps explain to the owner what has been completed and what still requires attention.
Frequently asked questions about tracking trademark renewals
When should you start preparing a trademark renewal?
Start early enough to verify the records, obtain instructions and approve the budget before filing. The internal date depends on the number of registrations, territories and people involved. Work back from the verified official deadline and allow time for your decision-making process. The normal filing windows are set out earlier in this guide.
How do you track trademark renewals across several countries?
Keep a record for each registration, including its territory, responsible office, verified deadline and supporting source. Add the internal dates agreed with local representatives. A shared overview helps coordinate the work, but the same calendar should not be applied automatically to every country: requirements and deadlines can differ.
Is an automated reminder enough to secure a renewal?
A reminder flags an action that needs attention. It does not establish the owner’s approval, confirm that the renewal has been filed or verify the outcome. Link each alert to a record, a responsible person and a dated next action. Keep the matter open until the agreed checks are complete.
What should you do if the client has not provided instructions?
Keep the record marked as awaiting instructions and assign the follow-up to a named person. Specify the decision needed, the trademark concerned and the internal response deadline. If the official deadline is approaching, raise the issue with the person responsible for the matter. Do not record a lack of response as approval.
Is Excel enough to track trademark portfolio renewals?
A shared spreadsheet may suit a limited portfolio when update rules, access and checks are clear. Its limitations become more apparent when multiple versions circulate or instructions and documents remain scattered. At that point, assess a centralised tool against your team’s collaboration needs and its ability to trace decisions and actions.
How can you check that a renewal is complete?
Compare the supporting documents with the approved instructions and the registration details. Check the office’s confirmation, the goods and services actually renewed and the new expiry date. Save the evidence in the record, then update its status. Filing the request is one stage of the process and does not, by itself, close it.
Give your team a clear view of the renewals ahead.
Discover how IPzen can bring your portfolios, documents and deadlines together in your everyday work.
A guide from IPzen, a solution for managing trademark portfolios, matters and deadlines. Official sources checked on 9 September 2026.