Geographical Indications as Absolute Grounds for Refusal on the basis of Art. 7(1)k & 7(1)g

1. Geographical Indications as Absolute Grounds for Refusalon the basis of Art. 7(1)k & 7(1)g Imre Gonda deputy head Trademark , Model and Design Dept. Hungarian Intellectual Property Office

2. Regulatory environment International law • Paris Convention • TRIPS • Agreements (Lisbon) Community law (Regional) • TM Directive • CTMR • Community GI sys’s National law (example: HU) • Trade Mark Act • GI Act • Regulations 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

3. Legal Sources- international law - Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property(Art. 7bis) • no provision about GI Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(Art. 22-23.) • definition of GI, scope of protection • GI ground for refusal ex officio against misleading TM appl. • higher level of protection for wines and spirtits Bilateral Free Trade Agreements + GI Agreements • IP effect: mutual recognition of GI’s contained in the annex • EU & Third Countries or MS’s and Third Countries 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

4. Legal Sources - community law - 2008/95/EC TM Directive(Art. 15) • no provision about GI 207/2009 Regulation on the Community Trade Mark • misleading TM as to the (…) geographical origin [Art. 7(1)g] • GI for wines or spirits absl. ground for refusal [Art. 7(1)j] • Community GI for agricultural products or foodstuffs absl. ground for refusal [Art. 7(1)k] • GI as relative ground for refusal (basis for opposition)? NO! • GI as ground for invalidation [Art. 53(2)d] as „industrial property rigth” 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

5. Legal Sources - community law - 510/2006/EC Regulation - GI protection for agricultural products or foodstuffs • exclusive EU wide protection – no coexistence with national sys. • 2 def.: designation of origin / geographical indication • scope of protection is broader than for TM [Art. 13.] • product specification obligatory 110/2008 Regulation on (…) the Protection of GI of spirit drinks • coexistence – national protection precondition for EU appl. • def.: geographical indication [Art. 15.] • scope of protection is broader than for TM [Art. 16.] • product specification obligatory

6. Legal Sources - community law - 1234/2007/EC & 479/2008/EC Regulations – on the common organization of the market in wine • exclusive EU wide protection – no coexistence with national sys. • 2 def.: designation of origin / geographical indication [Art. 34.] • scope of protection is broader than for TM [Art. 45.] • product specification obligatory 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

7. Procedure for the registration of GI - example: Hungary - 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

8. Art. 7(1)k [CTMR](agricultural products & foodstuff) Scope of Art. 7(1)k: • GI’s protected under Reg. 510/2006 (EU-GI’s only!) Art. 13 of Reg. 510/2006 • defines the scope of GI protection in a very broad manner (any direct or indirect use, different goods) • directly applicable in CTM procedures • interpretation of misuse, imitation or evocation ? • translated names ? reputation ? • goods: identical / similar / non-similar ? approach and logic: „non-trademark” 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

9. Art. 13. of Reg. 510/2006 Registered names shall be protected against: (a) any direct or indirect commercial use of a registered name in respectof products not covered by the registration in so far as thoseproducts are comparable to the products registered under thatname or in so far as using the name exploits the reputation of theprotected name; (b) any misuse, imitation or evocation, even if the true origin of theproduct is indicated or if the protected name is translated or accompaniedby an expression such as ‘style’, ‘type’, ‘method’, ‘asproduced in’, ‘imitation’ or similar; (c) any other false or misleading indication as to the provenance,origin, nature or essential qualities of the product, on the inner orouter packaging, advertising material or documents relating to theproduct concerned, and the packing of the product in a containerliable to convey a false impression as to its origin; (d) any other practice liable to mislead the consumer as to the trueorigin of the product. 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

10. Art. 7(1)j [CTMR](wines &spirits) Scope of Art. 7(1)j: • reference to „wines and spirits” only • no reference to Reg. 1234/2007 or Reg. 110/2008 Σ: Art 7(1)j covers all protected GI in Europe ! (national/international/EU) Concerns in the trademark procedures: • source of information (unified register?) • interpretation of misuse, imitation or evocation ? • translated names ? reputation ? • goods: identical / similar / non-similar ? 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

11. Miscellaneous • CTMR covers not all types of GI’s as absolute ground for refusal → no „equal treatment” for certain GI’s • GI as relative ground for refusal (basis for opposition)? In theory no, in practice under Art. 8(4) • connection between GI’s & Art. 7(1)g deceptiveness 7th Liaison Meeging on Trade Marks 21-22 May 2012

12. Thank you for your attention! www.hipo.gov.hu imre.gonda@hipo.gov.hu