Changes to UK trade mark law comes into force
New trade marks laws have come into force today in the UK (14th January 2019).
The new laws make a number of changes to filing trade marks, contesting trade marks, and managing trade marks once registered.
They bring into force the EU trade mark directive, which the UK was obliged to implement.
The changes include a provision that make it easier to register a sound as a trade mark among a host of changes.
Some of the key changes, as picked out by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO):
• the ability to file a trade mark for a sound or motion as an MP3 or MP4 file
• the removal of expired trade marks from search reports
• changes to who can apply for a collective trade mark
• changes to proof of use periods in opposition and invalidation periods
• separate oppositions will now be required to jointly oppose (or invalidate) a trade mark based on earlier rights, unless the parties jointly own these
Click here to read more about the change and what they mean for business