EU Trade Mark Law Reform – Final Legislative Approval Completed
By Arthur Artinian and Scott Steinberg
Further to alert of 11 June 2015 (here) and recent webinar covering the major developments affecting international brand owners (here), the proposals to amend the Community Trade Mark Regulation and Trade Mark Directive were adopted at second reading by the European Parliament on 15 December 2015. This was the final approval required at EU level and follows the Council adopting its position at first reading on 10 November 2015.
The Regulation will to enter into force 90 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and this is expected in February or March 2016. The Directive will enter into force 20 days after publication and must be implemented by Member States into national law within 3 years. Some provisions relating to administrative invalidity and revocation procedures may be implemented within 7 years.