On 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. BREXIT will also change the IP landscape in Europe.

While the field of patents will hardly be affected, as membership in the EPC is not linked to membership in the EU (and the time lag to the European Community Patent seems to be constant), the situation is different for union trademarks.

The EUIPO has posted the following information on its Internet site:

„Ahead of 1 February 2020, the day on which the UK will leave the EU in accordance with the Withdrawal Agreement  concluded between the EU and the UK (read the latest news here), the EUIPO has updated the Brexit section on its website.

The Withdrawal Agreement stipulates that during a transition period that will last until 31 December 2020, EU law remains applicable to and in the UK. This extends to the EUTM and RCD Regulations and their implementing instruments.

This continued application of the EUTM Regulations and the RCD Regulations during the transition period includes, in particular, all substantive and procedural provisions as well as the rules concerning representation in proceedings before the EUIPO.

In consequence, all proceedings before the Office that involve grounds of refusal pertaining to the territory of the UK, earlier rights originating from the UK, or parties/representatives domiciled in the UK will run as they did previously, until the end of the transition period.“

In other words, until the end of this year Union trademarks will still be enforceable in the United Kingdom, opposition proceedings with parties from the United Kingdom will continue and Union trademarks applied for after February 1, 2020 and before January 1, 2021 will be extended to the United Kingdom as before. As the Office puts it laconically: „Business as usual“.

However, in its statutory ruling 2019, No. 269 the British Patent and Trademark Office has established regulations for Union TMs after BREXIT.

For complete information click:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/269/schedule/1/made

In the following we report the main issues (note that the amendment to the act has about 30 chapters). The key information is included in section 1(1) according to which existing UTMs will be treated as British TMs claiming the same original filing day.

I. A trade mark registered as an existing EUTM to be treated as registered under the British Trademark Act:

(1) A trade mark which is registered in the EUTM Register immediately before exit day (an “existing EUTM”) is to be treated on and after exit day as if an application had been made, and the trade mark had been registered, under this Act in respect of the same goods or services as the existing EUTM is registered in the EUTM Register.

(2) A registered trade mark which comes into being by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) is referred to in this Act as a comparable trade mark (EU).

(3) This Act applies to a comparable trade mark (EU) as it applies to other registered trade marks except as otherwise provided in this Schedule.

(4) A comparable trade mark (EU) is deemed for the purposes of this Act to be registered as of the filing date accorded pursuant to Article 32 to the application which resulted in the registration of the corresponding EUTM and that date is deemed for the purposes of this Act to be the date of registration.

(5) Section 40(3) and (4) does not apply to the registration of a comparable trade mark (EU) under this Part.

(6) Section 67(1) applies in relation to the provision of information and the inspection of documents relating to a comparable trade mark (EU) notwithstanding that there will have been no application under this Act for the registration of the trade mark (and so no publication of an application).

(7) Nothing in this Act authorises the imposition of a fee, or the making of provision by rules or regulations which authorises the imposition of a fee, in respect of any matter relating to a comparable trade mark (EU) (see instead provision made by regulations under Schedule 4 to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018).

(8) For the purposes of this Act—

(a) the date of filing of an application for registration of a comparable trade mark (EU) is the filing date accorded pursuant to Article 32 to the application which resulted in the registration of the corresponding EUTM;

(b) references to the date of application for registration of a comparable trade mark (EU) are to the date of filing of the application;

(c) where an earlier trade mark is a comparable trade mark (EU), references to the completion of the registration procedure for the earlier trade mark are to the completion of the registration procedure in respect of the corresponding EUTM.

II. Opt-out

(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the proprietor of an existing EUTM may, at any time on or after exit day, serve notice on the registrar that the trade mark is not to be treated as if the trade mark had been registered under this Act (an “opt out notice”).

(2) An opt out notice may not be served where on or after exit day—

(a) the comparable trade mark (EU) has been put to use in the United Kingdom by the proprietor or with the proprietor’s consent (which use includes affixing the trade mark to goods or to the packaging of goods in the United Kingdom solely for export purposes);

(b) the comparable trade mark (EU) (or any right in or under it) has been made the subject of an assignment, licence, security interest or any other agreement or document except for an assent by personal representatives in relation to the comparable trade mark (EU); or

(c) proceedings based on the comparable trade mark (EU) have been initiated by the proprietor or with the proprietor’s consent.

III. Entries to be made in the register in relation to a comparable trade mark (EU)

(1) The registrar must as soon as reasonably practicable after exit day enter a comparable trade mark (EU) in the register.

(2) The particulars of the goods or services in respect of which the comparable trade mark (EU) is treated as if it had been registered must be taken from the English language version of the entry for the corresponding EUTM in the EUTM Register.

(3) Where—

(a) the application for registration of the corresponding EUTM was not filed in English; or

(b) the second language indicated by the applicant pursuant to Article 146(3) was a language other than English,

a person having a sufficient interest who considers that the English language version is inaccurate may apply to the registrar for rectification of the register by the substitution of an English translation of the relevant authentic text (as determined in accordance with Article 147(3)) verified to the satisfaction of the registrar as corresponding to the authentic text.

IV. Comparable trade mark (EU) which derives from an EU Collective Mark or EU Certification Mark

(1) This paragraph applies where the European Union trade mark from which a comparable trade mark (EU) derives is an EU collective mark or an EU certification mark.

(2) The comparable trade mark (EU) is to be treated as either a collective mark or a certification mark, as the case may be.

(3) The proprietor of the comparable trade mark (EU) must, following notice from the registrar, file with the registrar regulations governing the use of the European Union trade mark, submitted pursuant to the European Union Trade Mark Regulation, which had effect immediately before exit day.

(4) Where the regulations referred to in sub-paragraph (3) are in a language other than English they must be filed together with a translation into English verified to the satisfaction of the registrar as corresponding to the original text.

(5) Paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 apply in relation to the translation referred to in sub-paragraph (4) as they apply in relation to the regulations referred to in sub-paragraph (3).

V. Renewal of a comparable trade mark (EU) which expires within six months after exit day

(1) This paragraph applies to the renewal of the registration of a comparable trade mark (EU) which expires within the period beginning with exit day and ending with the end of the relevant period (and accordingly section 43(1) to (3A) does not apply).

(2) The registration of the comparable trade mark (EU) may be renewed at the request of the proprietor before the expiry of the registration.

(3) Where the registration of the comparable trade mark (EU) is not renewed in accordance with sub-paragraph (2)—

(a) on, or as soon as reasonably practicable after, the expiry of the registration, the registrar must notify the proprietor that the registration has expired and of the manner in which the registration may be renewed; and

(b) a request for renewal must be made within the period of six months beginning with the date of the notice.

(4) If a request for renewal is made in respect of only some of the goods or services for which the comparable trade mark (EU) is registered, the registration is to be renewed for those goods or services only.

(5) If the registration is not renewed in accordance with the above provisions, the registrar must remove the comparable trade mark (EU) from the register.

(6) Section 43(4) and (6) applies to the registration of a comparable trade mark (EU) which is renewed in accordance with the above provisions.

(7) In paragraph (1), the “relevant period” means the period of six months beginning with the day after that on which exit day falls.

VI. Restoration of a comparable trade mark (EU)

6.   Where a comparable trade mark (EU) is removed from the register pursuant to paragraph 5, the rules relating to the restoration of the registration of a trade mark (referred to in section 43(5)) apply in relation to the restoration of the comparable trade mark (EU) to the register.

VII. Raising of relative grounds in opposition proceedings in case of non-use

(1) Section 6A applies where an earlier trade mark is a comparable trade mark (EU), subject to the modifications set out below.

(2) Where the relevant period referred to in section 6A(3)(a) (the “five-year period”) has expired before exit day—

(a) the references in section 6A(3) and (6) to the earlier trade mark are to be treated as references to the corresponding EUTM; and

(b) the references in section 6A(3) and (4) to the United Kingdom include the European Union.

(3) Where exit day falls within the five-year period, in respect of that part of the five-year period which falls before exit day—

(a) the references in section 6A(3) and (6) to the earlier trade mark are to be treated as references to the corresponding EUTM ; and

(b) the references in section 6A to the United Kingdom include the European Union.

VIII. Non-use as defence in infringement proceedings and revocation of registration of a comparable trade mark (EU)

(1) Sections 11A and 46 apply in relation to a comparable trade mark (EU), subject to the modifications set out below.

(2) Where the period of five years referred to in sections 11A(3)(a) and 46(1)(a) or (b) (the “five-year period”) has expired before exit day—

(a)the references in sections 11A(3) and (insofar as they relate to use of a trade mark) 46 to a trade mark are to be treated as references to the corresponding EUTM; and

(b)the references in sections 11A and 46 to the United Kingdom include the European Union.

(3) Where exit day falls within the five-year period, in respect of that part of the five-year period which falls before exit day—

(a)the references in sections 11A(3) and (insofar as they relate to use of a trade mark) 46 to a trade mark, are to be treated as references to the corresponding EUTM ; and

(b)the references in sections 11A and 46 to the United Kingdom include the European Union.

IX. Grounds for invalidity of registration of a trade mark based upon an earlier comparable trade mark (EU)

(1) Section 47 applies where an earlier trade mark is a comparable trade mark (EU), subject to the modifications set out below.

(2) Where the period of five years referred to in sections 47(2A)(a) and 47(2B) (the “five-year period”) has expired before exit day—

(a) the references in section 47(2B) and (2E) to the earlier trade mark are to be treated as references to the corresponding EUTM ; and

(b) the references in section 47 to the United Kingdom include the European Union.

(3) Where exit day falls within the five-year period, in respect of that part of the five-year period which falls before exit day—

(a) the references in section 47(2B) and (2E) to the earlier trade mark are to be treated as references to the corresponding EUTM ; and

(b) the references in section 47 to the United Kingdom include the European Union.