EUIPO

EUIPO is the European Union Intellectual Property Office responsible for managing the EU trade mark and the registered Community design. The EUIPO works with the IP offices of the EU Member States and international partners to offer a similar registration experience for trade marks and designs across Europe and the world.

The EUIPO, which was known as OHIM until 23 March 2016, can provide applicants with exclusive rights for trade mark and design protection throughout the European Union (EU) with just a single application.

The regulation establishing the Office was adopted by the Council of the European Union in December 1993 and revised on two occasions, in 2009 and in 2015. It created the European Union trade mark (formerly known as the Community trade mark) as a legal instrument in European Union law and established the EUIPO (formerly known as OHIM) as an EU agency with legal, administrative and financial autonomy. Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 created the registered Community design. On 23 March 2016, the Office changed its name to the European Union Intellectual Property Office upon the entry into force of Regulation 2015/2424.

Anyone who is adversely affected by a decision can file an appeal. A notice of appeal must be filed in writing at EUIPO within two months of the date of notification of the decision appealed from.  An appeal fee must also be paid at the same time (€720), as otherwise the appeal is deemed not filed. These time limits cannot be extended.

The Boards of Appeal at the EUIPO are responsible for deciding on appeals against first instance decisions taken by EUIPO concerning European Union trade marks and registered Community designs. The decisions of the Boards are, in turn, liable to actions before the General Court, whose judgments are subject to a right to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) on points of law. The Boards of Appeal are independent and, in deciding a case, are not bound by any instructions.

For more information regarding the EUIPO and applying for an EU trade mark please visit the EUIPO website