European Union Intellectual Property Office
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) (French: Office de l'Union européenne pour la propriété intellectuelle) is a decentralised agency of the EU responsible for the registration of EU-wide unitary trade marks and industrial design rights.[1] These exist alongside the intellectual property rights of individual EU member states, so the agency also works to harmonise EU-wide and national registration processes. Other responsibilities include the administration of the rights of certain products in the EU to carry geographical indications.
EUIPO was founded in 1994 and was formerly known as the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), but was renamed in March 2016 to reflect major reforms. The EUIPO is based in Alicante, Spain.
Functions and activities[edit]
Intellectual property registration[edit]
The Office is in charge of managing the registration of the EU trade mark and the registered Community design and offers businesses and citizens exclusive rights for trade mark and design protection throughout the European Union (EU), with a single application. Every year, it registers an average of 135,000 EU trade marks and close to 100,000 designs. The European Union trade mark (EUTM) (formerly known as "community trade mark")[5] grants exclusive rights in all current and future Member States of the European Union through a single registration, filed online. The basic registration fee is EUR 850 and it covers one class of goods and services. An EU trade mark registration lasts for 10 years but can be renewed indefinitely in blocks of 10 years.