Reminder of upcoming deadline for
CTM/EUTM holders
By Stefano John, European
Patent Attorney
JINN IP, LTD. www.jinnip.com
As
has been previously reported, changes to the EU-level TM system have been
introduced. These have mainly come into effect on the 23rd March
2016. Below is a quick list giving EUTM/CTM proprietors a quick idea of the
main changes affecting them:
- OHIM will now be known
as EU-IPO, and Community trade marks (CTM) will become known as European
Union Trade Marks (EUTM).
- A new fee system has
been introduced with reduced fees for single/two class registrations which
would mean a reduced cost for the average TM applicant
- A new approach to
EU-TM infringing items only transiting through the EU has been introduced
to fight counterfeiting
- Most importantly, a 6-month
window for CTM/EUTM proprietors has been introduced to clarify
specifications of TMs filed before 22 June 2012. As has been discussed in
the previous article, the major change in TM regulation means that
specification of class services/goods can be limited. Therefore there is a
transit window for current CTM/EUTM proprietors (if CTM filed before 22
June 2012 as this is date of “IP TRANSLATOR” case coming out) to declare
what they believe they are entitled to cover with their existing TM of a
specific Nice class.
The
deadline runs for 6 months only, so contact your representative EU
representative TM attorney to clarify how much of a specific class (even if all
goods/services even if not mentioned in original application) you would like to
occupy. The opportunity lasts until 23rd Sept. 2016!
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