The deadline for requesting an extension to the transition period under the EU Withdrawal Agreement has now passed and therefore 31 December 2020 now looks more likely than ever to be the end to the transition period of the UK leaving the EU.
In terms of intellectual property, this will mean:- Owners of existing EU Trade Mark (“TM”) registrations and Community Design registrations will be issued automatically and without charge by the UK Government, comparable UK registrations, mirroring the same details and dates, prior to the final Exit Date of 31 December 2020;
Owners of existing EU Trade Mark applications and Community Design applications at 31 December 2020 will have a nine month period until 30 September 2021 to request comparable UK applications mirroring the same details as their EU applications but will have to pay official fees for the applications; and:
Comparable UK registrations due for renewal in the six month window after the Exit Date will still need to be renewed in the UK, even if the EU renewal was undertaken in advance of 31 December 2020 (in the six month period in advance of the final renewal date).
Do trade mark or design owners have to take any action now?
If you are intending on launching a new product in the second half of this year or 2021, it is useful to bear in mind that an EU trade mark application is unlikely, if filed now, to achieve registration prior to 31 December 2020. This is due to the fact that it can take six to nine months to achieve registration and the backlog of applications at the EUIPO, due to the coronavirus crisis, may slow down the registration process in the latter half of this year. As such, if an entity currently only files an EU application, they must understand that going forward, there is a risk it will have to additionally take the step of requesting a UK comparable application to be issued and pay the fees. If a UK comparable application has to be requested this will delay registration in the UK, which would not occur if a national UK application was sought at the outset. If the UK market is important, it would be wise to seek a national UK trade mark application.
EU Design registration is a much faster process, being a deposit system, and therefore is less of an issue. An EU design application filed in early November 2020 could be registered by 31 December 2020. Separate UK and EU registrations will be required after the transition period for both trade marks and designs.
What about .eu domain names?
If you have registered a .eu domain name, check you/ your business can still hold it after the final Exit Date i.e. the end of the transition period – as it needs to be held by an EU individual or entity with an address in an EU member state. A two month period to alter details will be allowed.
What about custom watches?
If counterfeits are an issue for your business, separate customs watches will be required for the EU and UK after the end of the transition period. With offices in six European countries and direct representation rights in 15 countries, Murgitroyd is well placed to support your business during these uncertain times.
For more information, please contact Eleanor Coates: Eleanor.coates@murgitroyd.com or visit murgitroyd.com/brexit
