European Union Trademark Enlargement on May 1st - Expanded Coverage and Expanded Hurdles
By: DAVID C. WEST
April 2004
On May 1, 2004, the European Union will induct the following ten new Member states: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia. When they become part of the EU, these additional countries also will be covered by the single European Community Trademark Application (CTM application). CTM applications do not require a home country filing and may include broad coverage of goods and services. With the additional EU countries covered, after May 1, 2004, the bases for rejecting CTM application will increase, as well as the likelihood of receiving a rejection. Therefore, if you are planning to file a CTM application, consider doing so prior to May 1st in order to avoid some of the additional obstacles to trademark registration.
Countries Currently Covered by a CTM
- Austria
- Finland
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
- Sweden
- Spain
- Denmark
- France
- Greece
Additional Countries Covered by a CTM as of May 1, 2004
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Estonia
- Slovak
- Republic
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Latvia
- Lithuania