THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TRADEMARK TWO YEARS LATERTOKYO, February 3, 1.998
Luís Alfonso DuránDURAN-CORRETJER
Patent & Trademark Attorneys Since 1902Offices in Barcelona, Madrid & Alicante
Paseo de Gracia, 101 Tel.: (34-3) 218 16 1408008 - Barcelona Fax: (34-3) 218 90 85Spain E-mail: [email protected]
DURAN-CORRETJER, Barcelona 1998
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THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TRADEMARK
Two Years Later
EUROPE EUROPEAN UNION
Pop. 368,7 million
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BACKGROUND OF COMMUNITY TRADEMARK
• General principle : Principle of free circulation of goods & services within the european union. (Art. 30 of Rome Treaty).
• Exceptions : National trademarks (Art. 36 of Rome Treaty).
• Exhaustion of trademark rights within european union.
• Need to create a european wide trademark proteccion.
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WHAT IS A CTM
• Single application : CTM application.• Filed before a single authority : OHIM (Office
for the Harmonization in the Internal Market) Alicante (Spain).
• Through a single attorney : european trademark attorney.
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WHAT IS A CTM
• In a single language :
from five
English
Spanish
French
German
Italian
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WHAT IS A CTM
• Following a single prosecution.
• Obtaining a single registration : CTM.
• Enforceable through a single legal action : Community Trademark Courts.
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GOVERNING PRINCIPLES
1 - Coexistence
- National Trademarks
- International Trademarks
- Community Trademarks
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GOVERNING PRINCIPLES
2 - Conversion BeneluxFinlandGermanyGreeceItalyIrelandSpainSweden
etc.
Community Trademark
National
Trademarks
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GOVERNING PRINCIPLES
3 - Consolidation prior rights : Seniority
National Trademarks
BeneluxFinland
GermanyGreece
ItalyIrelandSpain
Swedenetc.
Community Trademark
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REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
Community Trademark Aplication
Formal Examination
Search
Publication
Grant
Examination Absolute Grounds
Oppositions or Observations
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LINGUISTIC REGIME
• Filing and publication :
11 languages of EU
English *Spanish *French *German *Italian *DanishDutchFinishGreekPortugueseSwedish
* Official languages of OHIM
No se puede mostrar la imagen en este momento.
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LINGUISTIC REGIME
• Community Trademark : Designation two languages
- 1st Language : CTM Application- 2nd Language : One of the 5 OHIM
languages
• Prosecution / Opposition / Nulity :One of the two designated being official OHIM.
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NEW SCENARIO
Multiple OptionsNational routeCTM routeMadrid protocol routeCombinationsFuture link (CTM/Madrid)
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NEW SCENARIO
Different prosecution systems Different certainty
Deposit only (IT)Deposit + Inf. Search (BX, AT)Opposition only (DE, FR)Ex officio exam. + oppos.
(ES, GB, PT, DK, FI, GR, IE, SE)
- National route
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NEW SCENARIO
- CTM route : opposition only + partial inf. search (CTM + nat. trademarks except IT, DE, FR)
- Madrid route : same as national.
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ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
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ADVANTAGES
• Lower filing and prosecution costs.• Prosecution in a single language.• Easy registration
(no examination of prior rights “ex officio”).• Lower use requirements.• A single decision enforceable in all european union.• Consolidate earlier national rights into a CTM
(Seniority).
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DISADVANTAGES
• Registrability in all european union countries.• Unitary grant or rejection.• Lower legal certainty (no prior rights examination).• Can be easily attacked (one sole opposition, nullity,
cancelation).• Cannot be divided.
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QUESTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED
• Scope of protection.• Urgency in obtainig a registration.• Need to adapt trademark to each member state.• Same or different ownership in each member state.• Absolute grounds of non registrability in some member state.• Relative grounds of non registrability in some member state.• Need of protection in countries other than EU.• Existence of own prior rights.
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USEFUL ADVISES
• Search before filing (at least identical marks) There are many marks.
• Look to informative searches by OHIM (but wait to decide until oppositions).
• Complete searches during prosecution (IT, FR, DE) when opposition are received.
• Try to settle during prosecution seeking global agreements.
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USEFUL ADVISES
• Complete search after registration (IT, FR, DE).• Cancel or settle with conflicting earlier rigths
even if they did not file an opposition.• Watch new marks for opposition purposes.
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SOME CTM FIGURES
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CTM APPLICATIONS FILED BY EU NATIONALS
11.37
09.
162
4.14
64.
072
3.425
1.92
11.
515
1.152
1.05
51.0
27 614
483
336
235
1380
2.000
4.000
6.000
8.000
10.000
12.000GermanyUnited KingdomItalySpainFranceNetherlandsSwedenDenmarkAustriaBelgiumFinlandIrelandPortugalLuxembourgGreece
Source : OHIM.Situation on December 15, 1997
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CTM APPLICATIONS FILED BY NON EU NATIONALS
20.1
38
2.111
1.38
081
453
630
422
821
720
915
014
613
811
310
596
1.26
30
5.000
10.000
15.000
20.000
25.000USAJAPANSwitzerlandCanadaAustraliaTaiwwanHong KongIsraelTurkeySingaporeNorwayMexicoBrazilNew ZealandNetherlands AntillesOthers...
Source : OHIM. Situation on December 15, 1997
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CTM APPLICATIONS PER COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
20.13
811
.370
9.162
4.146
4.072
3.425
2.111
1.921
1.515
1.380
1.152
1.055
1.027 81
46.3
38
0
5.000
10.000
15.000
20.000
25.000 USA (1)Germany (2)United Kingdom (3)Italy (4)Spain (5)France (6)JAPAN (7)Netherlands (8)Sweden (9)Switzerland (10)Denmark (11)Austria (12)Belgium (13)Canada (14)Others
Source : OHIM.Situation on
December 15, 1997
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BREAKDOWN BY CTM NATURE
Word Marks64%
Figurative Mark34%
Other1%
3 D1%
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BREAKDOWN BY APPLICATION LANGUAGES
36.057
3.780 6.258
19.764
2.729 1129.389
13.743 7.9794.592 4.547 4.120 4.2290
10.000
20.000
30.000
40.000
English
German
Dutch
Spanish
French
Italia
n
Others
First Language Second Language
(1)
(1) (2)
(2)
(3)
(3)
(4) (5) (6)
(5)(4)
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NUMBER OF OPPOSED AND UNOPPOSED CTM APPLICATIONS
2.800
3.000
3.200
3.400
3.600
3.800
Opposed 603Unopposed 3.174
Total
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CTM OPPOSITION RATE
Unopposed84,0%
Opposed16,0%
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TIME TABLE
Acceptance of CTM filings withdate April 1, 1996
Official opening of OHIM
First bulletin published
Issue of first CTM certificates of registration
18Months
January 2/96
April 1/96
March 1/97
October 17/97
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CTM Nº2
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FORECASTS FOR COPING WITH THE BACKLOG
0
20.000
40.000
60.000
80.000
100.000
1.996 43.0001.997 68.000 10.000 1.0001.998 93.000 63.000 49.000
CTM FILED CTM PUBLISHED
CTM REGISTERED
~~
~ ~
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FORECASTS FOR COPING WITH THE BACKLOG
0
20.000
40.000
60.000
80.000
100.000
120.000
Published 10.000 63.000 98.000Unpublished 43.000 58.000 30.000 20.000
1.996 1.997 1.998 1.999
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NEW PROJECTED OHIM BUILDING
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NEW PROJECTED OHIM BUILDING
37
NEW PROJECTED OHIM BUILDING
38
NEW PROJECTED OHIM BUILDING
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THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TRADEMARK
Two Years Later
EUROPE EUROPEAN UNION
Pop. 368,7 million