ABSOLUTE GROUNDS FOR EUTMA REFUSAL 12 th Annual

ABSOLUTE GROUNDS FOR EUTMA REFUSAL 12 th Annual International Seminar Intellectual Property Rights Catalysing Creativity 11 th -12 th February, 2017 in Ahmedabad, INDIA © Agency TRIA ROBIT 2017

EUIPO STATISTICS 2015 In total 130 401 EUTMA filed 11% more than in 2014 Direct EUTMA filings more than 8. 2 % (108 515 applications) IR designating EM more than 27. 4 % (21 886 applications)

ORIGINS OF EUTMA 2015 • 69 % of EUTMA come from EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) • 13 % of EUTMA come from US • 5 % of EUTMA come from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) • 13 % of EUTMA come from other countries

TOP 10 EUTMA FILING COUNTRIES Germany United States United Kingdom Italy Spain France Switzerland The Netherlands China Poland

TOP 10 EUTMA CLASSES 2015 35 Class - 9. 8 % 9 Class - 9. 4 % 42 Class - 6. 5 % 41 Class - 5. 9 % 25 Class - 4. 7 % 5 Class - 5 % 16 Class - 3. 6 % 3 Class - 3. 1 % 38 Class - 2. 9 % 30 Class - 2. 8 %

FAST TRACK • • First launched: 22 November 2014 First EUTM registered via fast track: 6 March 2015 Average speed of fast track 2015: • • EUTMA publication - 3 -4 weeks EUTM registration 17 -19 weeks

REGULAR TRACK • • • EUTMA publication - 8 -11 weeks EUTM registration - 22 -25 weeks EUTMA examination done - 20 -25 days EUTMA first action - 30 -35 days EUTMA AG refusal decision - 10 -20 weeks

EXAMINATION • EUIPO: absolute grounds only • INDIA: absolute and relative grounds

Reform 23 March 2016 Regulation (EU) 2015/2424 Directive (EU) 2015/2436

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(a): EUTM definition Smell/olfactory marks Taste marks Sound marks Movement marks Colour marks Position marks

Article 7(1)(b): distinctiveness Cases: EUTMA 011102266 PIANISSIMO EUTMA 010899037 3 D mark EUTMA 011055811

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(c): descriptive character New: - languages other than official ones are taken into account during examination - names of colours - names of banks, newspapers, airports are assessed relatively to the market situation

Article 7(1)(c): descriptiveness Cases: EUTMA 011578473 ΧΑΛΛΟΥΜΙ & EUTMA 011570124 HALLOUMI Class 29 EUTMA 010866887 FLEX Class 10 EUTMA 011541901 ELITEDISPLAY & 011318284 ELITEPAD Class 9

Article 7(1)(c): descriptiveness Cases: EUTMA 012552162 WORLD OF BINGO Classes 9, 28, 35, 38, 41, 42 EUTMA 012669396 Classes 9, 28, 35, 38, 41, 42

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(d): customary signs of indications - overlap with 7(1)(c) EUTMR - pictograms refused - inapplicable if the sign is used in the market by sole trader other than EUTM applicant Criteria of assessment: - point of time - link with goods/services - relevant public: all those that deal in trade with the product commercially

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(e): functionality and shape - shape or other characteristic resulting from the nature of goods - shape or other characteristic necessary to get a technical result - shape or other characteristic of the goods that give substantial value of the goods

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Criteria of assessment: - average consumer perception is not crucial - refusal cannot be overcome by proving acquired distinctiveness - all identified essential characteristics must fall under Article 7(1)(e) to refuse the sign

Article 7(1)(e): functionality and shape Cases: EUTM 000107029 Declaration of invalidity EUTM 003354371

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(f): public policy and morality - reflection of Article 6 quinquies B(iii) of the Paris Convention - ≠ limitation of the principles of freedom of expression as refusal to register ≠ prohibition to use the sign - “relevant public” is broader public than those that buy goods/services - goods/services must be taken into account - harmonization with national offices practices

Article 7(1)(f): public policy and morality EUTM 003958154 EUTM 005585898 Registered Refused

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(g): deceptive marks Criteria of assessment: - market reality - consumers’ habits and perceptions

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(h-i): marks in conflict with flags and other symbols Incorporation of Article 6 ter of the Paris Convention New: some slight similarity in heraldry considered to be conflicting

EUIPO EXAMINATION ON ABSOLUTE GROUNDS Article 7(1)(j-m): conflict with traditional terms for wines & agricultural products, PDOs, PGIs, etc. - separately introduced by Regulation 2015/2424 - product has a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication under EU/national laws - production/ageing method or quality, colour, type of place or particular event - special database for traditional wine terms: E-Bacchus

Article 7(1)(j): PDOs and PGIs PDO vs PGI PDO describes foodstuffs produced, processed and prepared in a certain geographical area using recognized know-how PGI shows a link with the area in at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation PDO has a stronger link with the geographical area

Article 7(1)(k): wines EUTMA 011134947 Lembergerland applied for 25, 33, 41, 43 Classes Examiner refused Class 33 on the grounds: (GI) Lemberg protected in EU for wines originating from South Africa under Agreement Lembergerland = ‘region of Lemberg’ or ‘territory of Lemberg’

Article 7(1)(3): acquired distinctiveness NO refusal pursuant to Article 7(1)(b), (c) or (d) EUTMR, if it ‘has become distinctive in relation to the goods or services for which registration is requested in consequence of the use which has been made of it’.

Article 7(1)(3): acquired distinctiveness Consumers Not only a person, who purchase the goods/services but also a potentially interested person (potential purchaser) Goods & Services Territory Clear link to the Acquired goods or services distinctiveness at issue must be proven for the same territory for which EUTMA is refused

Evidence of acquired distinctiveness Evidence must be examined as a whole: - market share - intensity of use - frequency of use - duration of use - investments in promotion - territory - significant proportion of relevant public

Evidence of acquired distinctiveness Irrelevant: - evidence from non-EU states national registrations previous EUIPO decision on similar cases post-filing evidence (some exclusions)

Language Countries English UK, Ireland, Malta French France, Belgium, Luxembourg Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium Greek Dutch Swedish Greece, Cyprus Netherlands, Belgium Sweden, Finland

REFUSAL → CONVERSION OF EUTM

CONVERSION Tips for converting EUTMA if refused on absolute grounds: - do not wait until EUTMA is refused - national offices may have opinion different from the one of the EUIPO - make withdrawal not refusal on absolute grounds as the ground for conversion

BREXIT UK remains within EUTM system Potential scenarios Jersey Montenegro Tuvalu Veto Ireland Conversion EUTM ceases to be valid in UK

BREXIT SCENARIOS Jersey – EUTM is protected by national UK legislation

BREXIT SCENARIOS Montenegro – EUTM is automatically entered into the Register of the UK marks

BREXIT SCENARIOS Tuvalu – EUTM enters the Register of UK marks on request of the EUTM owner

BREXIT SCENARIOS Veto – similar to Tuvalu, however, the examiner can refuse the registration

BREXIT SCENARIOS Ireland – EUTM valid until the first renewal and then can be added to the Register of UK marks on request of EUTM owner

BREXIT SCENARIOS Conversion – the filing date retained but full examination

HOW TO GET THOROUGH TM PROTECTION IN UK? File a EUTM and wait how the things are going on? ? File a national UK trademark? ? File both a EUTM and a national UK trademark? ?

THANKS FOR ATTENTION! ANY QUESTIONS? For additional information please contact: Agency TRIA ROBIT P. O. Box 22, LV 1010, Riga, Latvia 5 -2 Vilandes Str. , Riga, Latvia Phone: +371 67320300 Fax: +371 67325600 E-mail: info@triarobit. com Web: www. triarobit. com