歐盟商標申請人現可進行預評估檢查
2023 年 6 月 2 日，歐盟知識產權局在其網站上發布聲明，宣布現已向歐盟商標申請人提供預評估檢查工具。顧名思義，該工具旨在於預申請階段，即在歐盟商標申請提交給歐盟知識產權局審查員審查之前，檢查申請中的具體問題。
一旦申請人激活了該工具（在歐盟商標申請表的申請配置部分），預評估檢查將在申請人填寫申請表時自動進行。目前，這些檢查可以幫助識別與商標的欺騙性或冒犯性特徵有關的問題，以及該商標與任何註冊的歐盟域名或植物品種名稱之間的衝突。
這一新申請工具的目的顯然是通過允許申請人在提交前識別並糾正其歐盟商標申請中的問題來減少「商標申請的延誤和拒絕」。然而，歐盟知識產權局明確指出，「該工具的結果僅供參考，並非詳盡無遺」。換句話說，根據預評估檢查工具的結果糾正任何給定歐盟商標申請中的問題並不能保證此類申請將被接受並註冊相應的歐盟商標。
參考資料：
- 歐盟知識產權局，New pre-assessment checks in your EUTM application，2023年6月2日, 2023年7月13日訪問EUIPO - New pre-assessment checks in your EUTM appli (europa.eu)
聲明：本文為作者原創作品，其中引用他（她）人的文獻、數據、圖件、資料均已在本文底部的 “參考資料” 部分明確列出。
Pre-Assessment Checks Now Available to EUTM Applicants
In a statement released on its website on June 2, 2023, the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) announced that a pre-assessment check tool is now available to European trade mark (EUTM) applicants. As its name indicates, this tool is designed to check EUTM applications for specific issues at the pre-filing stage, that is, before the application is submitted for review by the EUIPO examiners.
Once the tool is activated by the applicant (in the filing configuration section of the EUTM filing form), pre-assessment checks will be carried out automatically as the applicant fills out the form. For now, these checks can help identify issues pertaining to the deceptive or offensive character of the trade mark, as well as conflicts between the same and any registered EU domain or plant variety denomination.
The purpose of this new filing tool is obviously to reduce “delays and rejections of trade mark applications,” by allowing applicants to identify and correct issues in their trade mark applications before filing. However, the EUIPO made sure to specify that “the results of the tool are purely informative and non-exhaustive”. In other words, correcting issues in any given EUTM application based on the results of the pre-assessment check tool is in no way a guarantee that such application will be accepted and the corresponding EUTM trademark registered.
Reference:
- European Intellectual Property Office, “New pre-assessment checks in your EUTM application,” June 2, 2023, accessed July 13, 2023, EUIPO - New pre-assessment checks in your EUTM appli (europa.eu)
- Statement: This article is an original work of authorship, and the documents, data, maps, and materials cited in it have been clearly listed in the “references” section at the bottom of the article.
by 黃愷蜜 顧問