Trademarks and Designs in the European Union The Dos and Donts

Trademarks and Designs in the European Union The Do’s and Don’ts for Chinese companies April 2006 Peter A. van der Wees Vereenigde Outline • • • • Introduction Trademark Law Design Law The Do’s and Don’ts Introduction • • • • • • 25 countries Founded in 1957 A common Market 450 mln consumers Cornerstone: Free movement of goods > Unified TM and Design laws Trademark Law • Ways to register: • Separate national application • CTM application • Designate EU in International Registration What can be a trademark • • • • • Words Logo’s Numerals Shapes Sounds • Not: smells Registration necessary? • Yes – First-to-file principle • Only exception: bad faith What rights does CTM confer • Identical sign, identical goods • Similar sign, similar goods • Similar sign, dissimilar goods if damaging to CTM Exceptions • Exhaustion • Use to indicate intended purpose of goods How to enforce • CTM Courts • Customs action Design Law • Community Design Regulation of March 6, 2002 • Dual system • Unregistered designs (3-year protection against copying) • Registered designs (25 years maximum) Requirements for protection • Novelty • Individual character Scope of protection • Any designs which do not produce, on the informed user, a different overall impression Examples Hasbro Inc : Toy Examples Vans, Inc: Helmet Examples Artsana S.p.A.: Supports for the feet of a baby’s high chair Examples BMW AG: Children’s pedal car Examples BMW AG: Side Mirror Examples Valeo Vision: Trim for car headlights Examples Hangzhou China Arts Economic & Trading Corp Limited: Garden Light Examples Guangzhou Sat Infrared Technology Co. Ltd: Camera Exceptions • Parts not visible during normal use • Features which are solely dictated by their technical function • Component parts of a complex product, if used for repair Let’s re-evaluate  Inexpensive, fast and easy registration system  But things are not always what they seem How to obtain an RCD     Product name Applicant details 7 representations Costs € 1050 or less Some statistics Top 10 users: Germany Italy US France Spain United Kingdom Japan The Netherlands Switzerland Belgium 23.5% 16.5% 8.5% 8% 8.5% 7% 3.5% 3.5% 2.5% 2.5% The Do’s and Don’ts • Do a trademark search OHIM-registers: http://oami.eu.int/en/default.htm Benelux: http://register.bmb-bbm.org/bmbonline/intro/show.do • Obtain an (International) trademark registration The Do’s and Don’ts • Obtain a Community Design registration • Do not obtain a Community Design registration if you sell products with a life cycle of less than three years The Do’s and Don’ts • Manufacturers of pare parts: You can use a third party’s mark to indicate intended purpose of goods • Search the OHIM design registers: http://oami.eu.int/en/design/bull.htm • Note the spare Parts Exception – but take heed of other possible IP rights The End Thank you!