Policy Observatory

From November 24, OHIM will only examine trade mark applications and process any mail related to them after they are paid for. This means the Office can be more efficient, as it will no longer examine applications that ultimately will never be paid for. OHIM is a European Union agency that serves businesses across the EU.

In Poland, the Industrial Property Rights Act regulates issues related to granting and protection of exclusive industrial property rights at national level.

Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) ruled against Becali’s football club in a case in which the Army’s Sports Club, which is also called “Steaua Bucuresti” asked the court to cancel the registration of the Steaua Bucharest Football Club, which was made in January 2004, at the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks – OSIM.

Judgment was delivered today by the General Court in Case T-197/13 Monaco v OHIM. The Principality of Monaco cannot benefit from the protection of the trade mark MONACO in the EU in respect of certain goods and services. The word ‘MONACO’ designates the origin or geographical destination of the goods and services concerned and is devoid of distinctive character.

The EU General Court judgment held that distinctive sounds can be trademarked, provided that they may be represented graphically. However, because the ringtone sound is so familiar and so universal, the court decided that a general consumer in the European Union would be "unable, without prior knowledge, to identify that ringing sound as indicating that the goods and services come from Globo."