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.
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.
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.