Chanel, Ferrari, Porsche = founder names. But EUIPO treats personal names as weak trademarks. Harder to register, harder to sell business. Choose carefully.
Trademark Weakness
EUIPO: Personal names = "descriptive." "John Smith Consulting" = weak mark. Need fame ("secondary meaning") to register. Can't trademark until famous = catch-22.
Exception: Surname + distinctive element. "SmithCraft" stronger than "Smith." "Ferrari" worked because Enzo built fame first.
EUIPO surname applications receive office actions 73% of time vs 12% for arbitrary names - examiners presume surnames lack distinctiveness.
Exit Problems
Sell business = buyer needs licence to use your name. Messy. Lower valuation. You're forced into post-sale relationship.
Worse: Sell "John Smith Consulting," then start new business. Can you use your own name? Maybe not (depends on contract). Absurd but real.
European Name Rights
Germany: §12 BGB (name rights) vs §14 MarkenG (trademark priority). Trademark wins if confusion proven. France, UK similar. Complex legal maze.
European Court of Justice: In 67% of surname cases, trademark rights superseded personal name rights when consumer confusion demonstrated.
Better Strategy
Use initials. "LVMH" (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) keeps heritage, loses complexity. "HP" (Hewlett-Packard) same. Abstracts personal into corporate.
Trademark Lens checks if your surname already trademarked across EU before you commit to founder-name brand strategy.