EP (European Parliament) approves overhaul of EU trade mark law:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The European Parliament has approved an overhaul of EU trade mark law, with MEPs voting 464 to 10 in favour of changes proposed by the European Commission. The Commission has recognised that the 1994 trademark system has made a "positive" contribution to removing barriers to intra-EU trade, but that experience has highlighted points for amendment or clarification. These include professional representation, access to the Community register of trade marks by third country nationals, a streamlining of the appeal procedures, and the abolition of charges that have been found to make procedures more cumbersome without real product revenue. The draft now goes to the Council of Ministers.