The European Community is involved in the enforcement of IP rights in the Internal Market in order to complete the harmonization of intellectual property rights. This protection is at different levels.
More information is available on the European Commission’s website:
· Enforcement of intellectual property rights
· Commission initiatives for fighting counterfeit
· Right holders' defence (Litigation or Interpellation)
· Combating counterfeit and piracy
There are three different ways to obtain protection for a design in the whole EU:
1. A registered Community design (RCD) is an exclusive right that covers the outward appearance of a product or part of it. The fact that the right is registered confers on the design great certainty should infringement occur. An RCD initially has a life of five years from the filing date and can be renewed in blocks of five years up to a maximum of 25 years. Applicants may market a design for up to 12 months before filing for an RCD without destroying its novelty.
2. An unregistered Community design (UCD) is defined by the CD Regulation in the same way as the RCD but protects a design for a period of three years from the date on which the design was first made available to the public within the territory of the European Union. An unregistered Community design confers on its holder a right to prevent copying. RCDs and UCDs have to meet the same conditions to be protected.
Unlike a registered Community design, you do not have to file an application to protect an unregistered design. This simplicity does, however, have its downside because the holder of the UCD may encounter problems in proving that the protection exists, and protection exists only against copying.
3. Since 1 January 2008, it has been possible to designate the European Community in an international application for an industrial design filed with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. WIPO will then register the international application and send it to OHIM. It will have the same effect as applying directly for a Registered Community Design
There are two different ways to obtain protection for a trade mark in the whole EU:
1. A Community trade mark: an exclusive right that protects distinctive signs, valid across the EU, registered directly with OHIM in Alicante in accordance with the conditions specified in the CTM Regulations.
2. An international trade mark designating the European Community: likewise an exclusive right but administered by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva according to the Madrid Protocol. WIPO processes the application and then sends it to OHIM for examination according to the conditions specified in the CTM Regulations. This has the same effect as applying directly for a Community trade mark.
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