IntlTM

International Trademark Protection
Many of the slides in this presentation were
prepared by the Technical Cooperation Division of
the Office of Harmonization in the Internal
Market, Alicante, Spain, October 29, 1998

Internationalization of Trademark
Protection: Four Axes
(1) Harmonization of the laws of
separate jurisdictions
(2) Facilitation of Filings and
Management in other countries
(3) Expanding coverage of regional
trademarks
(4) Expansion of trademark entitlements
Terminus: single, uniform, world-wide,
highly protective trademark system

Vehicles of International Trademark
Protection
• Paris Convention (1883, 1900, 1911, 1925, 1934, 1958,
1967)
• Madrid Agreement (1890, 1967)
• Madrid Protocol (1989)
• Trademark Law Treaty (1996)
• TRIPS
• Regional Trademark Systems
– Community Trademarks (European Union)
– MERCOSUR (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay)
– Andean Pact (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela)
– APEC (Asia-Pacific)
– ARPIO & OAPI (Africa)

Paris Convention
• No discrimination against nationals of other
countries -- 2
• First filing date in a member country gives
applicant priority in all other countries,
provided filings are made within 6 months --
4
• Marks considered “well-known” in any
member country protected against use on
similar goods in that country -- 6bis
• Protection of foreign nationals against
“unfair competition” -- 10bis

Protection
1967)
• TRIPS
– Andean Pact (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela)

Madrid Agreement
• 30 Countries (not USA)
• Owner of a “basic registration” may file
international TM application in home office
– if int’l application is filed within 6 months of basic
registration, get date of priority
• Application forwarded to WIPO, which:
– issues international registration
– publishes in Les Marques Internationales
– forwards application to designated member
countries
• National offices examine application for
conformity with national laws
– if no action within 1 year, deemed registered
• “Central Attack”
• French

Madrid Protocol
• 70 countries (USA joined on 11/2/2003)
• After filing domestic application, applicant may
file international TM application in home office
– if int’l application is filed within 6 months of basic
application, get date of priority
• Application forwarded to WIPO, which:
– issues international registration
– publishes in Les Marques Internationales
– forwards application to designated member
countries
• National offices examine application for
conformity with national laws
– if no action within 1 year, deemed registered
• No “Central Attack”
• French or English
http://www.wipo.org/madrid/en/legal_texts/madrid_protocol.htm

Trademark Law Treaty
• Procedural simplification and harmonization
• 27 countries, including US (as of 2/26/2002)
• Standard forms for applications, powers of
attorney, etc.
• Countries may require only:
– name and address,
– information concerning the mark
– goods and services the mark pertains to,
– the mark's classification,
– declaration of the intention to use the mark.
• 10-year initial term and renewal terms

Protection
1967)
• TRIPS (1994)
– Andean Pact (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela)

TRIPS Harmonization
• National Treatment and MFN
• Service marks must be protected -- 15
• Geographical indications must be protected
(especially for wine and spirits) -- 22 & 23
• Mandatory Procedures for Publication,
Opposition, and Cancellation -- 15
• Expansive protection for well-known marks -- 16
• 7-year minimum term -- 18
• Cancellation for non-use only after 3 years; longer
if owner has legitimate excuse -- 19.
• No compulsory licensing -- 21
• No “special requirements” encumbering use -- 21
• Preliminary relief must be available

Bacardi Case
• Pre-1959: Arechabalas family owns Cuban TM in Havana Club
• 1959: Cuban government confiscates assets of Arechabalas family
• Arechabalas let Cuban TM registration lapse
• Cuban company registers Havana Club, then enters into joint
venture with Pernod Ricard (French); HCH sells rum under that
label in 80 countries
• 1997: Bacardi (Bermuda company) buys rights to “Havana Club”
from Arechabalas family
• HCH seeks US registration for “Havana Club”
• 1998, Congress adopts “Section 211,” forbidding U.S. courts to
recognize or enforce TM rights used in connection with a
confiscated business, unless the confiscado consents; limited to
Cuban confiscados;
• HCH unable to press its claims in U.S courts
• Castro threatens to begin local, unauthorized production of Coca-
Cola
• EU initiates WTO dispute settlement

Bacardi Case
• Final Ruling of WTO appellate body
(January 2002):
– Trade names are covered by TRIPS
– Each country had substantial latitude in
regulating conditions for registration of
marks
• Thus US could refuse to register confiscated
marks
– But non-discrimination principles
(National Treatment and MFN) forbid
special treatment for nationals of a
particular foreign country

Community Trademark
• Coexists with national TM systems
• Substantive Harmonization
• Open System (contrast Madrid Protocol)
• Administrative hierarchy:
– OHIM
– OHIM Boards of Appeals
– European Court of Justice
• “Absolute” Grounds for Nonregistration
– indistinctive, descriptive, functional, deceptive, flags,
etc.
• Designated “Community TM Courts” in each
country
• Cancellation for nonuse in Europe for 5 years

Directive 89/104:
Substantive Harmonization
1) definition of what can be registered as a
trademark;
2) rights conferred by a trademark;
3) conditions on use of a trademark, especially,
cancellation for lack of use;
4) exhaustion of the rights;
5) grounds for refusal, invalidation, or
revocation of a trademark

ESPT
FR
IT
GR
AT
DE
GB
IE
BX
SE
FI
DK
National Trademark Systems

CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
OFFICES: NATIONAL TRADE MARKS
national offices
Three Alternative Routes

national offices
WIPO: REGISTRATION OFA
INTERNATIONAL TRADE MARKS

national offices
WIPO: REGISTRATION OFA
INTERNATIONAL TRADE MARKS
OHIM: REGISTRATION OF A
COMMUNITY TRADE MARKS
OHIM
ALICANTE

SENIORITY ES:
National trade mark as
from 12.6.1980
IT:
from 15.11.1981
DE:
from 20.4.1985
GR:
from 02.7.1996
NATIONAL TRADE
MARKS

SENIORITY ES:
from 12.6.1980
IT:
from 15.11.1981
DE:
from 20.4.1985
GR:
from 02.7.1996
COMMUNITY
TRADE MARK
as from 10.7.1997
NATIONAL TRADE
MARKS
COMMUNITY
TRADE MARK

APPLICATION FOR
A COMMUNITY
TRADE MARK ON
PAPER
OHIM
NATIONAL
OFFICES
ETMAF
FILING OF A COMMUNITY TRADE MARK
by mail or courier
service
by fax personal
delivery

LANGUAGES
• English
• French
• German
• Italian
• Spanish
the OHIM the European
Union
• Danish
• Dutch
• English
• Finnish
• French
• German
• Greek
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Spanish
• Swedish

EXAMINATION
Conditions of filing
Conditions relating to the entitlement
of the proprietor
Examination as to formalities
National Offices
ES, AT, BX, DK, FI, GB,
GR, IE, PT, SE
Examination as to absolute grounds
of refusal
APPLICATION
EUROMARC
FORMAL
EXAMINATION
SEARCH REPORTS
ABSOLUTE
GROUNDS
PUBLICATION OF
APPLICATION

OPPOSITION PROCEEDINGS
• Earlier TM applications or registrations in Member
States
• Earlier international registrations with effect in at
least one of the countries of the EU
• Or, earlier CTMs or CTMAs
PUBLICATION
NO OPPOSITION OPPOSITION
DECISION ON OPPOSITION
REFUSAL
in whole or in part
REGISTRATION

TYPES OF COMMUNITY
TRADE MARKS
1 Trade marks for goods or services
2 Collective trade marks

RIGHTS CONFERRED BY A
COMMUNITY TRADE MARK
• of exclusive use of the trade mark;
• to prevent the reproduction or imitation of a trade mark;
• to transfer a trade mark or to grant licenses for some or
all of the goods or services to which the trade mark is
registered, in part or the whole of the Community;
• to oppose the registration of similar Community or
national trade marks which could cause confusion to the
consumer.

Vehicles of International
Trademark Protection
• Paris Convention (1883, 1900, 1911, 1925, 1934,
1958, 1967)
• TRIPS
– Andean Pact (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,
Venezuela)

OFFICE FOR HARMONIZATION IN THE
INTERNAL MARKET
STATISTICS
Technical Cooperation Division

TechnicalCooperationDivision COMMUNITY TRADE MARK APPLICATIONS
BREAKDOWN BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – 1997
(MORE THAN 1,000 APPLICATIONS)
total number of applications: 93,036
US DE GB IT ES FR JP NL SE CH DK AT BE OTHER
26.277 15.043 12.506 6.018 5.657 5.016 2.717 2.625 2.133 1.816 1.566 1.465 1.462 8.735
28,24% 16,17% 13,44% 6,47% 6,08% 5,39% 2,92% 2,82% 2,29% 1,95% 1,68% 1,57% 1,57% 9,39%
28,24%
16,17%
13,44%
6,47%
6,08%
5,39%
2,92%
2,82%
2,29%
1,95%
1,68%
1,57%1,57%
9,39%

Total Registrations, by Country,
1997-2001
BEDK
DE
GR
ESFR
IE
IT
LU
NL
ATPTFI
SE
GB
JPCH
US
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
EU

TechnicalCooperationDivision
COMMUNITY TRADE MARK APPLICATIONS
BREAKDOWN BY FIRST LANGUAGE OF
APPLICATION
English German Dutch French Spanish Italian Other
39.998 18.151 10.072 6.347 6.582 5.996 5.890
42,99% 19,51% 10,83% 6,82% 7,07% 6,44% 6,33%
19,51%
10,83%
6,82%
7,07%
6,44%
6,33%
42,99%

TechnicalCooperationDivision COMMUNITY TRADE MARK APPLICATIONS
BREAKDOWN BY SECOND LANGUAGE OF
APPLICATION
English French Spanish German Italian not specified
48.570 27.161 8.226 5.099 3.925 55
52,21% 29,19% 8,84% 5,48% 4,22% 0,06%
29,19%
8,84%
5,48%
4,22% 0,06% 52,21%

APPLICATION BY NUMBER
OF CLASSES
N° of classes N° of applications %
1 39.555 42,52%
2 15.236 16,38%
3 25.071 26,95%
4 5.160 5,55%
5 2.788 3,00%
6 1.633 1,76%
7 949 1,02%
8 633 0,68%
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

APPLICATIONS BY NATURE
Nature Number %
Word Mark 59.625 64,09%
Figurative 31.656 34,03%
3D 879 0,94%
Other 876 0,94%
Total 93.036 100,00%
59.625
31.656
876879
0
10.000
20.000
30.000
40.000
50.000
60.000
Word Mark Figurative 3D Other

APPLICATIONS BY DEPOSIT
CLASSES
Class number N° of applications %
9 26.551 11,66%
42 17.568 7,72%
16 16.274 7,15%
25 13.088 5,75%
41 9.213 4,05%
35 8.857 3,89%
5 7.972 3,50%
3 7.264 3,19%
7 6.701 2,94%
30 6.607 2,90%
28 6.274 2,76%
0
5.000
10.000
15.000
20.000
25.000
9 42 16 25 41 35 5 3 7 30 28
Class 9 : Scientific, nautical, surveying, electric, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking , life-saving and
teaching apparatus and instruments; calculating machines; cash registers, data processing equipment and computers; ....
Class 42 : Providing of food and drink; temporary accommodation; medical, hygienic and beauty care; veterinary and agricultural services; ...
Class 16 : Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; artists materials; ...

INDIVIDUAL MARK
ECU US $
Basic fee for application
(including 3 classes)
975 1,162
Fee for each class exceeding 3 200 238
Opposition fee 350 417
Fee for alteration 200 238
Basic fee for registration
(including 3 classes)
1,100 1,311
Fee for each class exceeding 3 200 238
Renewal fee 2,500 2,980
Fee for renewal for each class of
g/s exceeding 3 classes
500 596
Fee for invalidity 700 834
Appeal fee 800 953
FEES (1998)
1 ECU=1.19192 US $ (26 October 1998)
g/s = goods and services

INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR
THE PUBLIC
• Community Trade Mark Bulletin
- on paper
- on CD-ROM
• Official Journal of the Office
• Annual Activity Report
• Internet: http://oami.eu.int

MERCOSUR
• Mercado Comun del Sur
• Goals:
– Free movement within the common market of
goods, services, capital, and labor
– common trade policy vis-à-vis other countries
– coordination of macroeconomic policies
– harmonization of domestic legislation to
increase regional integration
• Currently substantial variations among
trademark protection provided by the four
member countries

MERCOSUR
• Protocol for the Harmonization of
Regulation of Intellectual Property
– adopted 1995
• Member states will abide by TRIPS
• National Treatment
• Expansive Definition of trademarks, service
marks, collective marks
• Uniform list of unprotectable marks
• Limited prior user rights
• Uniform Protection of “Well-known” marks
• 10-year term, renewable
• Parallel Imports permitted

Andean Pact
• Decision 486 (2000): Common Intellectual Property
Regime (in compliance with TRIPS)
• National Treatment and MFN Principles
• Separate National Trademark Registries
• 6-month priority window for registration in other
countries
• Andean Opposition
• Coexistence of identical or similar marks for
competitive goods permitted, provided
– the owners reach a “coexistence agreement”
– that avoids consumer confusion
– registered with national office

Vehicles of International
Trademark Protection
• Paris Convention (1883, 1900, 1911, 1925, 1934,
1958, 1967)
• TRIPS
– Andean Pact (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,
Venezuela)
Central American
Trademark?

Current Situation in Central
America
Separate applications;
local counsel;
renewals;
potential litigation; etc.

Proposal: Regional Trademark
System
single application;
single local counsel;
single renewal system;
infringement judgment
binding throughout
the region

Central-American Trademark
would be easier to establish than
the European Community Mark
• No language barriers
• We could build upon (and improve upon)
the European experience
• The managers of the OHIM have offered to
help design and implement a Central-
American system

Advantages of the Regional System
• From the standpoint of firms:
– much simpler and less expensive
– easier to police TM violations

• From the standpoint of the region

– help attract multinational firms

– total costs of the registries would diminish sharply

– the regional registry would be a profit center

– the regional registry would be a profit center
– provide a pilot project to test the prospects for
general economic integration of Central America

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