Organisation: Council of the European Union

In John Mills Ltd v EUIPO, the EU General Court has ruled that Article 8(3) of Regulation 207/2009, which aims to prevent the misuse of a mark by the trademark proprietor’s agent, applies only if the marks are identical.    

25 October 2018

Featured in Trademark register tracker

The past year has been a busy one in Alicante. In addition to expanding its tools and activities, the EU Intellectual Property Office had to prepare for the changes ushered in by the European trademark reform package. In this year’s annual survey, we asked users to assess its performance during this period of change

01 September 2016

The trademark patterns of R&D-driven innovators confirm the role of trademarks as a key intangible asset in the corporate strategies of innovative firms

01 March 2016

One of the more contentious aspects of the EU’s proposed trademark reform package bubbled to the surface again last week as an unnamed Indian official reiterated the government’s concern over the issue of goods in transit. Although the criticism may be unlikely to affect the final shape of the legislation, the issue is likely to remain a sticking point in free trade negotiations and other interfaces between Europe and India.

19 October 2015

When we last reported on the European trademark reform, ‘provisional agreement’ on the package had been reached by the ‘trilogue’ of the European Parliament, Council and Commission. This week, the rapporteur of the reform package, Cecilia Wikström, has revealed what went on behind closed doors and acknowledged that the reforms, expected to be formally passed later this year, are not as ambitious as she had hoped.

12 June 2015

<i>World Trademark Review</i> presents its annual focus on the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market, polling users to gauge sentiment on its performance, assessing the impact of upcoming legislative changes and presenting updates direct from Alicante.

31 August 2014

This month, BusinessEurope, AIM, ECTA, ICC-BASCAP, INTA and Marques issued a joint statement on the proposed European legislative trademark package, addressing a number of areas of concern for users. On further investigation, it is clear that the debate over fee levels and allocation of the OHIM surplus shows no signs of abating.

19 February 2014

On Wednesday the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee will vote on the European Commission’s proposal for a revised Tobacco Products Directive. Prior to the vote, five IP associations have teamed up to speak out in support of trademarks.

08 July 2013

This week OHIM was officially entrusted with responsibility for The European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights. While a number of projects are underway, the office has launched a consultation to gain feedback on the role its planned IP think tank can play.

06 June 2012

The Council of the European Union has adopted the proposal to entrust OHIM with the EU Observatory on Infringements of IP Rights. While the move will expand OHIM’s role, the council has stressed that the new tasks will not extend to participation in individual operations or investigations carried out by national authorities.

26 March 2012