Incoming non-agri GIsand their impact on trade marks

Edith Van den EedeTrademark Attorney - Rome, Italy

TOPICS

I. GIs: What‘s cooking ?

II. New non-agri GI scheme

III. Impact on trade marks

I. GIs: What‘s cooking

1. Geneva Act Lisbon Agreement

2. EU Commission initiative to introduce newnon-agri GI scheme

3. GI: beautiful stranger?

II. Incoming non-agri GIs1. TRIPS obligations (>< misleading / unfair competition)

2. EU level: currently 4 autonomous Regulations- Quality Regulation agricultural products & foodstuffs

- Regulation establishing Single CMO for wines

- Regulation on spirit drinks

- Regulation on aromatised wine products

- („TRIPS plus“)

3. No harmonisation/unitary EU rules to protect non-agricultural, industrial & artisanal GIs

II. Incoming non-agri GIs4. Aim:- protecting traditional know-how and culturalheritage linked with a specific „terroir“

- remedy insufficient protection (outcome publicconsultation – current different protection levels)

- improving negotiations with third countries

5. New scheme:- open to GIs from third countries (TRIPS)

- exhaustive in nature? (Bud I & Salame Felino II)

• Study on GI protection for non-agri products in the Internal Market (March 2013) - Public hearing(April 2013)

STUDY on non-agri GI protection

•Green Paper on possibile extension of EU GI

protection to non-agri products (July 2014)

•Public consultation (ended October 2014)GREEN PAPER

• Conference with stakeholders on preliminary results of the public consultation (January 2015)

• Working doc. Legal Affairs Committee of EU Parliament

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

• Draft report on possible extension by rapporteur Legal Affairs Committee of European Parliament (April 2015)

• … …

Non-agri GI

scheme?

6. New scheme: the making of

III. Impact on trade marks

1. GI : beautiful stranger ?

©iStockphoto.com/ZoneCreative

III. Impact on trade marks

1. Additional absolute refusal grounds:

- Additional pool of GIs (TM clearance!)

- Relationship TMs & GIsSHALL WE

CO-EXIST NOW,

OR SHALL WE CO-EXIST LATER?

III. Impact on trade marks1. Additional absolute refusal grounds:

- direct impact on OHIM & national PTOs

‘Legislative Package‘ : national TM offices & OHIM must refuse ex

officio applications in violation of PGIs(„pursuant to Union legislation or internationalagreements to which the Union is party“)

III. Impact on trade marks1. Additional absolute refusal grounds:

- Example

Italian TM MURANO À PORTER VS

cl. 14 and 21

-> after submission of GI application: refusal for product of the same type

-> before submission: under certain circumstances co-existence possible

(Art. 24.5 TRIPS: good faith + acquired before GI protection country of origin

Art. 14 Quality Reg.1151/12 >< Art. 17 Reg.2081/92 accelerated proceedings)

-> no GI registration only where prior TM‘s reputation, renown and length ofuse would be liable to mislead consumers as to the true identity of product

III. Impact on trade marks1. Additional absolute refusal grounds:

- Example

Italian TM MURANO À PORTER VS

cl. 14

TM MURANO THERAPY VS

ROYAL BAIN DE MURANOcl. 3

-> after submission of GI application: refusal or annulment whereexploitation of reputation (even if products - or services - that are notcomparable)

III. Impact on trade marks2. Need for simplification and

alignment

-overall complexity

(EU - 3rd countries - Lisbon GIs)

-> detrimental to the system‘s efficiency & visibility

-single & horizontal legal framework for EU unitary protection andenforcement for all GIs (with clear provisions & single database)

-registration process & administration of single GI databasecentralized under 1 body (OHIM? Cf. Legal Affairs Committee EU Parliament)

IV. Concluding remarks

Thank you

edith.vandeneede@praxi-ip.com