Why Trademark Registration Matters More Than Ever: VMCs, Email Trust, and the SME Fund 2026
In a digital business environment where trust is increasingly built before a customer even opens an email, branding and legal protection are no longer separate topics. Two developments make this especially relevant right now for EU companies:
Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs), which allow businesses to display their official logo next to their emails in inboxes such as Gmail, and
The SME Fund 2026, which currently offers substantial subsidies for EU trademark registration.
What connects these two? A registered trademark. And for many businesses, this makes now a particularly opportune moment to act.
What Is a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)?
A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a special digital certificate that allows a company’s official logo to appear next to its emails in supported inboxes, instead of a generic icon. In Gmail, for example, this is often accompanied by a visible verification checkmark, signalling to recipients that the sender’s identity has been independently verified.
VMCs display as full logos and a verification checkmark
VMCs work as part of a broader email authentication framework (including DMARC and BIMI), but from a business perspective the key point is simple: recipients can immediately see that the email truly comes from your company.
This visual verification helps:
distinguish legitimate emails from phishing attempts,
increase trust in business communications, and
improve brand recognition in crowded inboxes.
Why a Registered Trademark Is a Prerequisite
To obtain a VMC, the logo used in emails must be protected by a registered trademark with a recognised intellectual property office. Certificate authorities issuing VMCs are required to verify that the applicant legally owns the trademark corresponding to the logo.
In practice, this means that without a registered trademark, a VMC is not available. For companies that rely on email for sales, customer support, or sensitive communications, trademark registration has therefore become a functional prerequisite for modern email trust and brand protection.
The Business Advantages of VMCs
While VMCs are a technical product, their benefits are commercial and reputational:
Increased trust: recipients instantly recognise verified, authentic emails.
Brand visibility: your logo becomes a consistent visual element in inboxes.
Reduced phishing risk: attackers cannot replicate a legally verified logo.
Professional credibility: especially relevant for B2B, finance, tech, and service providers.
For many businesses, this effectively turns a trademark from a “nice‑to‑have” legal asset into an active business tool.
Why Now? The SME Fund 2026
Timing matters. The SME Fund 2026, implemented by EUIPO, is currently open and provides financial support to EU‑based SMEs for trademark registration.
Under this scheme:
SMEs can receive reimbursement of up to 75% of official trademark fees,
the support applies to EU trademarks, among other IP rights, and
funding is granted on a first‑come, first‑served basis while the budget lasts.
For many companies, this significantly reduces the cost barrier of trademark protection and makes registration a financially attractive step—especially when combined with the added value of VMC eligibility.
How We Can Help
Registering an EU trademark is not just a filing exercise. It involves:
assessing registrability and potential conflicts,
selecting appropriate classes of goods and services,
drafting a specification that protects the business as it actually operates, and
managing the procedure before EUIPO.
Our firm regularly assists clients with EU trademark registration, including strategic advice, filing, and representation before the EUIPO. We also coordinate with clients’ technical providers where trademark registration is part of a broader goal—such as obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate.
Turning Legal Protection into Business Advantage
EU trademark registration has always been about protecting brand value. With the rise of VMCs and subsidised registration through the SME Fund 2026, it is now also about enhancing trust, visibility, and credibility in everyday business communications.
If you are considering registering a trademark—or if you want to understand how trademark protection can support your business goals—we would be happy to assist.
Now is a particularly good moment to act.