What can I do if my Malta trademark application is opposed by another company?

Trademark opposition is a formal process under the Trademarks Act, Chapter 416 of the Laws of Malta, allowing an existing rights holder to challenge a pending application before it proceeds to registration, and once opposition proceedings are formally initiated before the Industrial Property Registrations Directorate (IPRD), you would generally be given a specific opportunity and timeframe to file a formal counter-statement responding to the grounds of opposition, after which both parties typically have the opportunity to submit supporting evidence and arguments before a decision is made on whether your application can proceed to registration. Your realistic options at this stage generally include contesting the opposition on its merits if you believe your mark is genuinely sufficiently different from the opposing party's mark or otherwise doesn't create a genuine likelihood of confusion, potentially negotiating a coexistence agreement or amending your application's scope to address the opposing party's specific concerns, or in some cases deciding to withdraw or amend your application if the opposition genuinely has strong merit. Given both the strict procedural deadlines involved in properly responding to an opposition and the genuine legal and strategic complexity in assessing your best response, it would be important to engage a trademark agent or IP lawyer immediately upon receiving the opposition notice, rather than attempting to navigate this formal adversarial process without professional guidance.