Intellectual Property Office
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Simplified trade mark law will help businesses - Lord Triesman

Simplified trade mark law will help businesses - Lord Triesman

UK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE News Release issued by The Government News Network on 1 October 2007

A new simplified trade mark registration system will help businesses register new products, Intellectual Property and Quality Minister Lord Triesman said today.

Welcoming amendments to Section 5 of the Trade Marks Act 1994, which comes into force today, Lord Triesman said:

"The new system will make it easier for businesses wanting to launch new products and protect them with UK trade marks. It will also help users by aligning the UK regime with the European one".

Ian Fletcher, Chief Executive of the UK Intellectual Property Office said:

"This is a major change which affects every trade mark holder and applicant. We are confident that having now introduced the amendments we will maintain our high standard of service to all our users".

Today's changes have been introduced following a comprehensive period of consultation with stakeholders.

Editor Notes

- The UK-IPO web site can be found at http://www.ipo.gov.uk

- A trade mark is a sign which can distinguish the goods and services of one trader from those of others. A sign includes, for example, words, logos, pictures or a combination of these. http://www.ipo.gov.uk/whatis/whatis-tm.htm

- In future trade mark examiners will no longer automatically refuse applications where there is an earlier similar trade mark. Instead it will be for the holder of the earlier mark to seek to block the application if they so wish. This is intended to ensure that applications will only be blocked where they affect others' trading interests.

- Information about the changes can be viewed on the UK-IPO web page http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm/t-decisionmaking/t-law/t-law-notice/t-law-notice-relativegrounds.htm





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