Trade Marks Directive

Trade Marks Directive
European Union European Union directive:
Directive 89/104/EEC
First Council Directive of 21 December 1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks
Made by Council
Made under Article 100a
Journal reference L40, 11 December 1989, pp. 1-7
History
Made 21 December 1988
Came into force 27 December 1988
Implementation date 31 December 1992
Preparative texts
Other legislation
Amended by see text
Status: Current legislation

Council Directive No. 89/104/EEC, to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks, was introduced into European Union law on 21 December 1988. Its provisions were required to be introduced into national law by 29 December 1991. On this date the Directive therefore became law with direct effect in each of the member states of the European Union.

Intention

The Directive is intended to approximate laws of the Member States of the European Union that relate to trade marks. The Directive was designed to harmonize disparities in the respective trade mark laws that had the potential to impede the free movement of goods and provision of services and distort competition within the European Union.

The Directive provided a framework of minimum provisions applicable throughout the European Union but did not seek to impose onerous obligations on national trade mark registries. For example, the Directive did not stipulate how member states should deal with the registration, revocation and invalidity of trade marks. These elements were left to the national bodies' discretion.

Grounds for refusal or invalidity

The Directive stipulates that signs cannot be registered if they are:

  • Devoid of distinctive character
  • Indicate the kind, quality, or other characteristic of the goods or services they represent
  • Are customary signs in the trade
  • Contrary to public policy
  • Deceitful

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Directive to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks — Council Directive No. 89/104/EEC, to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks, was introduced into European Union law on 21 December 1988. Its provisions were required to be introduced into national law by 29 December… …   Wikipedia

  • Trade Marks Act 1994 — The Trade Marks Act 1994 is the law governing trademarks within the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. It implements an earlier EU Directive which forms the framework for the trade mark laws of all EU member states, and replaced an earlier law,… …   Wikipedia

  • Directive (European Union) — European Union This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the European Union …   Wikipedia

  • Trade mark law of the European Union — European trade mark law is governed by national law in the countries which make up Europe, together with European Law within those European countries which are also EU member states. Trade marks may be registered within individual countries, or… …   Wikipedia

  • Directive on the legal protection of designs — European Union directive: Directive 98/71/EC Directive on the legal protection of designs Made by European Parliament Council Made under Art …   Wikipedia

  • United Kingdom trade mark law — A trademark is a way for one party to distinguish themselves from another. In the business world, a trademark provides a product or organisation with an identity which cannot be imitated by its competitors.A trademark can be a name, word, phrase …   Wikipedia

  • Community Trade Mark — A Community M application in any member state can defeat the entire application, a CTM registration is enforceable in all member states. The CTM system is administered by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and… …   Wikipedia

  • European Free Trade Association Court — legend|#008000|EFTA court jurisdictionlegend|#000080|ECJ jurisdictionThe European Free Trade Association Court is a supranational court covering the three European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members who are also members of the European… …   Wikipedia

  • Fair trade — For other uses, see Fair trade (disambiguation). Fair trade is an organized social movement and market based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement… …   Wikipedia

  • Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive — European Union directive: Directive 2002/95/EC Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment Made by Council Parliament …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”