EU trademark reforms take effect
EU trademark reforms have come into effect today, sparking a reduction in renewal fees and a re-branding of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM).
As of today, March 23, OHIM will be known as the European Union Intellectual Property Office and Community trademarks will be known as European Union trademarks (EUTMs).
One of the other key changes is the reduction in EUTM renewal fees from €1,500 ($1,680) to €850 for electronic filing, and €1,500 to €1,000 for paper filing.
Leighton Cassidy, partner at law firm Fieldfisher, said: “The reforms to the trademarks across the EU are a harmonisation of different national registration procedures, and simplify the process of securing IP protection for businesses, who can now protect their trademarks more cheaply, more quickly and with a significant amount of legal certainty.”
WIPR has published several articles on the topic of EU trademark reform. See a selection below:
Spain focus: a torpedo of trademark change
