OHIM appoints Paul Maier as Observatory director

The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) has appointed Paul Maier as director of the Observatory at the organisation.

Maier, who is the current president of the Boards of Appeal at OHIM, will take up his post in January 2013. The Observatory (European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights) provides a platform to share best practices dealing with infringement.

The OHIM Academy, the office’s training and knowledge-sharing hub, will also fall under Maier’s remit. OHIM will now begin selecting a new president of the Board of Appeal to replace Maier.

António Campinos, OHIM president, said: “We are thrilled that Paul has agreed to come on board as the first director of the Observatory. He’s known across the IP landscape for his sound leadership, technical expertise and all-round experience. We couldn’t have got the Observatory off to a better footing.”

The Observatory came into effect on June 5, 2012.