商標登録insideNews: Update on Brexit 14 November 2018 | www.abelimray.com

On 14 November 2018, the UK government and the European Commission agreed in principle the terms of an Agreement between the UK and the EU setting out the terms of an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.  The full text of the Withdrawal Agreement can be viewed in this link, with matters relating to intellectual property being set out in particular in Articles 54 to 61. 

情報源: Update on Brexit 14 November 2018

[コメント] 2020.12.31までを過渡期(延長されるかもですが)とし、それまでに登録されている欧州連合商標登録は再審査などを要せずにそのまま英国での保護がうけられる予定です。

Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, as agreed at negotiators' level on 14 November 2018, Article 54 to 61(INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECTION)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

ARTICLE 54
Continued protection in the United Kingdom of registered or granted rights
1. The holder of any of the following intellectual property rights which have been registered or granted before the end of the transition period shall, without any re-examination, become the holder of a comparable registered and enforceable intellectual property right in the United Kingdom under the law of the United Kingdom:
(a) the holder of a European Union trade mark registered in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 shall become the holder of a trade mark in the United Kingdom, consisting of the same sign, for the same goods or services;
(b) the holder of a Community design registered and, where applicable, published following a deferral of publication in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 6/20021 shall become the holder of a registered design right in the United Kingdom for the same design;
(c) the holder of a Community plant variety right granted pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 2100/942 shall become the holder of a plant variety right in the United Kingdom for the same plant variety.
2. Where a geographical indication, designation of origin or traditional speciality guaranteed within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council1, a geographical indication, designation of origin or traditional term for wine within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council2, a geographical indication within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council3 or a geographical indication within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council4, is protected in the Union on the last day of the transition period by virtue of those Regulations, those persons who are entitled to use the geographical indication, the designation of origin, the traditional speciality guaranteed or the traditional term for wine concerned shall be entitled, as from the end of the transition period, without any re-examination, to use the geographical indication, the designation of origin, the traditional speciality guaranteed or the traditional term for wine concerned in the United Kingdom, which shall be granted at least the same level of protection under the law of the United Kingdom as under the following provisions of Union law:
(a) Points (i), (j) and (k) of Article 4(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/2436 of the European Parliament and of the Council1; and
(b) in view of the geographical indication, designation of origin, traditional speciality guaranteed or traditional term for wine concerned, Article 13, Article 14(1), Article 24, Article 36(3), Articles 38 and 44 and point (b) of Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012; Article 90(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council2; Article 100(3), Article 102(1), Articles 103 and 113, and point (c)(x) of Article 157(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013; Article 62(3) and (4) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 607/20093; the first subparagraph of Article 15(3), Article 16 and Article 23(1) of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 and, in so far as to the extent related to compliance with those provisions of that Regulation, Article 24(1) of that Regulation; or Article 19(1) and Article 20 of Regulation (EU) No 251/2014.
Where a geographical indication, designation of origin, traditional speciality guaranteed or traditional term for wine referred to in the first subparagraph ceases to be protected in the Union after the end of the transition period, the first subparagraph shall cease to apply in respect of that geographical indication, designation of origin, traditional speciality guaranteed or traditional term for wine.
The first subparagraph shall not apply where protection in the Union is derived from international agreements to which the Union is a party.
This paragraph shall apply unless and until an agreement as referred to in Article 184 that supersedes this paragraph enters into force or becomes applicable.
3. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, if an intellectual property right referred to in that paragraph is declared invalid or revoked, or, in the case of a Community plant variety right, is declared null and void or is cancelled, in the Union as the result of an administrative or judicial procedure which was ongoing on the last day of the transition period, the corresponding right in the United Kingdom shall also be declared invalid or revoked, or declared null and void, or be cancelled. The date of effect of the declaration or revocation or cancellation in the United Kingdom shall be the same as in the Union.
By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, the United Kingdom shall not be obliged to declare invalid or to revoke the corresponding right in the United Kingdom where the grounds for the invalidity or revocation of the European Union trade mark or registered Community design do not apply in the United Kingdom.
4. A trade mark or registered design right which arises in the United Kingdom in accordance with point (a) or (b) of paragraph 1 shall have as its first renewal date the renewal date of the corresponding intellectual property right registered in accordance with Union law.
5. In respect of trade marks in the United Kingdom referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the following shall apply:
(a) the trade mark shall enjoy the date of filing or the date of priority of the European Union trade mark and, where appropriate, the seniority of a trade mark of the United Kingdom claimed under Article 39 or 40 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001;
(b) the trade mark shall not be liable to revocation on the ground that the corresponding European Union trade mark had not been put into genuine use in the territory of the United Kingdom before the end of the transition period;
(c) the owner of a European Union trade mark that has acquired a reputation in the Union shall be entitled to exercise in the United Kingdom rights equivalent to those provided for in point (c) of Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 and point (a) of Article 5(3) of Directive 2015/2436 in respect of the corresponding trade mark on the basis of the reputation acquired in the Union by the end of the transition period and thereafter the continuing reputation of that trade mark shall be based on the use of the mark in the United Kingdom.
6. In respect of registered design rights and plant variety rights in the United Kingdom referred to in points (b) and (c) of paragraph 1, the following shall apply:
(a) the term of protection under the law of the United Kingdom shall be at least equal to the remaining period of protection under Union law of the corresponding registered Community design or Community plant variety right;
(b) the date of filing or date of priority shall be that of the corresponding registered Community design or Community plant variety right.

ARTICLE 55
Registration procedure
1. The registration, grant or protection pursuant to Article 54(1) and (2) of this Agreement shall be carried out free of charge by the relevant entities in the United Kingdom, using the data available in the registries of the European Union Intellectual Property Office, the Community Plant Variety Office and the European Commission. Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 shall be considered a registry for the purpose of this Article.
2. For the purposes of paragraph 1, holders of the intellectual property rights referred to in Article 54(1) and those persons who are entitled to use a geographical indication, designation of origin, traditional speciality guaranteed or traditional term for wine referred to in Article 54(2) shall not be required to introduce an application or to undertake any particular administrative procedure. Holders of intellectual property rights referred to in Article 54(1) shall not be required to have a correspondence address in the United Kingdom in the 3 years following the end of the transition period.
3. The European Union Intellectual Property Office, the Community Plant Variety Office and the European Commission shall provide to the relevant entities in the United Kingdom the information necessary for the registration, grant or protection in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 54(1) or (2).
4. This Article shall be without prejudice to renewal fees that may apply at the time of renewal of the rights, or the possibility for the holders concerned to surrender their intellectual property rights in the United Kingdom in accordance with the relevant procedure under the law of the United Kingdom.

ARTICLE 56
Continued protection in the United Kingdom of international registrations designating the Union
The United Kingdom shall take measures to ensure that natural or legal persons who have obtained protection before the end of the transition period for internationally registered trade marks or designs designating the Union pursuant to the Madrid system for the international registration of marks, or pursuant to the Hague system for the international deposit of industrial designs, enjoy protection in the United Kingdom for their trade marks or industrial designs in respect of those international registrations.

ARTICLE 57
Continued protection in the United Kingdom of unregistered Community designs
The holder of a right in relation to an unregistered Community design which arose before the end of the transition period in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 shall in relation to that unregistered Community design ipso iure become the holder of an enforceable intellectual property right in the United Kingdom, under the law of the United Kingdom, that affords the same level of protection as that provided for in Regulation (EC) No 6/2002. The term of protection of that right under the law of the United Kingdom shall be at least equal to the remaining period of protection of the corresponding unregistered Community design under Article 11(1) of that Regulation.

ARTICLE 58
Continued protection of databases
1. The holder of a right in relation to a database in respect of the United Kingdom in accordance with Article 7 of Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council1 which arose before the end of the transition period shall, in relation to that database, maintain an enforceable intellectual property right in the United Kingdom, under the law of the United Kingdom, that affords the same level of protection as that provided for in Directive 96/9/EC, provided that the holder of that right continues to comply with the requirements of Article 11 of that Directive. The term of protection of that right under the law of the United Kingdom shall be at least equal to the remaining period of protection under Article 10 of Directive 96/9/EC.
2. The following persons and undertakings shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of Article 11 of Directive 96/9/EC:
(a) United Kingdom nationals;
(b) natural persons with a habitual residence in the United Kingdom; & /en 99

(c) undertakings established in the United Kingdom, provided that where such an undertaking has only its registered office in the United Kingdom, its operations are genuinely linked on an ongoing basis with the economy of the United Kingdom or of a Member State.

ARTICLE 59
Right of priority with respect to pending applications for European Union trade marks and Community plant variety rights
1. Where a person has filed an application for a European Union trade mark or a Community design in accordance with Union law before the end of the transition period and where that application was accorded a date of filing, that person shall have, for the same trade mark in respect of goods or services which are identical with or contained within those for which the application has been filed in the Union or for the same design, the right to file an application in the United Kingdom within 9 months from the end of the transition period. An application made pursuant to this Article shall be deemed to have the same filing date and date of priority as the corresponding application filed in the Union and, where appropriate, the seniority of a trade mark of the United Kingdom claimed under Article 39 or 40 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001.
2. Where a person has filed an application for a Community plant variety right in accordance with Union law before the end of the transition period, that person shall have, for the purpose of filing an application for the same plant variety right in the United Kingdom, an ad hoc right of priority in the United Kingdom during a period of 6 months from the end of the transition period. The right of priority shall cause the date of priority of the application for the Community plant variety right to be deemed to be the date of application for a plant variety right in the United Kingdom for the purpose of determining distinctness, novelty and entitlement to the right.

ARTICLE 60
Pending applications for supplementary protection certificates in the United Kingdom
1. Regulations (EC) No 1610/961 and No 469/20092 of the European Parliament and of the Council, respectively, shall apply in respect of applications for supplementary protection certificates for plant protection products and for medicinal products, as well as to applications for the extension of the duration of such certificates, where such applications were submitted to an authority in the United Kingdom before the end of the transition period in cases where the administrative procedure for the grant of the certificate concerned or of the extension of its duration was ongoing at the end of the transition period.
2. Any certificate granted pursuant to paragraph 1 shall provide for the same level of protection as that provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1610/96 or Regulation (EC) No 469/2009.

ARTICLE 61
Exhaustion of rights
Intellectual property rights which were exhausted both in the Union and in the United Kingdom before the end of the transition period under the conditions provided for by Union law shall remain exhausted both in the Union and in the United Kingdom.

商標登録insideNews: Oxford University applies to trade mark ‘Oxford’ on 126 products | Oxford Mail

A NEW application by Oxford University to trademark the word ‘Oxford’ on more than a hundred products from stickers and pencils to DVDs and even bibles has sparked concern. Maps, tickets, newspapers, journals and 122 other goods could potentially be left with a bill for using the word ‘Oxford’ in the wrong way if the application is approved. The bid for exclusive use of the city’s name has been made by Oxford University Press, a division of the university, and unless there is formal opposition is likely to become active within three months.

情報源: Oxford University applies to trade mark ‘Oxford’ on 126 products | Oxford Mail

This is Oxford, 0:30

商標登録insideNews: UK Company Acquires ‘Bitcoin’ Trademark, Allegedly Threatens Etsy Store over BTC-themed Items

A UK company has acquired the trademark for “Bitcoin” and has allegedly threatened to bring a lawsuit against a small business that sells bitcoin-themed shirts. The business owner shared their plight on the Bitcoin subreddit, explaining that today, May 25, they received a letter from a company claiming to own the UK trademark for “Bitcoin.”

情報源: UK Company Acquires ‘Bitcoin’ Trademark, Allegedly Threatens Etsy Store over BTC-themed Items

Trade mark number UK00003279106
Status Registered
Trade mark BITCOIN
Class 25, 32, 33
Filing date 22 December 2017
Owner(s) name A.B.C. IPHOLDINGS SOUTH WEST LLC
c/o MONOPOLIP LTD, London, SW6 1BE, United Kingdom
Country of Incorporation United Kingdom
Company registration number 006649708
Date of publication 02 February 2018

商標登録insideNews: Notice to Stakeholders regarding the withdrawal of the UK and EU rules in the field of Plant Variety Rights | CPVO

     Brussels, Angers, 23 January 2018  NOTICE TO STAKEHOLDERS WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND EU RULES IN THE FIELD OF UNION PLANT VARIETY RIGHTS  

情報源: Notice to Stakeholders regarding the withdrawal of the UK and EU rules in the field of Plant Variety Rights | CPVO

欧州連合の植物品種権の規則は2019年3月30日00:00(CET)から英国に適用されなくなり、英国は「第3国」となります。

商標登録insideNews: IPPro The internet | Brexit transitional period to offer ‘cloned’ trademark rights | ipprotheinternet.com

The UK government has outlined its intention to offer EU registered trademarks a UK equivalent post-Brexit.In its latest draft agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the UK revealed that it would create an equivalent cloned right during the Brexit post-transition period, which is planned to last from 29 March 2019, to 31 December 2020.

情報源: IPPro The internet | Brexit transitional period to offer ‘cloned’ trademark rights | ipprotheinternet.com

商標登録insideNews: Black cab shape not distinctive enough to be trademark, say judges | World news | The Guardian

The London Taxi Company wanted to claim exclusive rights to the black cab shape and thwart a rival firm. But Lord Justice Kitchin and Lord Justice Floyd have upheld a ruling made last year by a high court judge. In January 2016, Mr Justice Arnold ruled that the shape was not a “valid registered trademark” after a high court hearing in London.

情報源: Black cab shape not distinctive enough to be trademark, say judges | World news | The Guardian

商標登録insideNews: Fintech boom drives record number of trade mark applications by UK finance firms | The Independent

A boom in new fintech innovations saw UK financial services firms register a record number of trade marks in 2016, according to research.Companies in the sector registered 4,228 trade marks last year, up from 3,141 in 2011, professional services firm, RPC, found.

情報源: Fintech boom drives record number of trade mark applications by UK finance firms | The Independent

[コメント] Fintechは金融を意味するファイナンス(Finance)と、技術を意味するテクノロジー(Technology)を組み合わせた造語ですが、フィンテック分野での商標登録出願数が急増しているとの記事になります。銀行、金融機関のIT化が加速しているとも受け取れます。