Following the “Harmonization Project” initiated by the Organization for Harmonization of the Internal Market (“OHIM”) at the end of 2012, a new database for the protection of intellectual property was created – “Euroclass”. The new agency combines the databases for classifications (descriptions or terms of goods and services) of each of the participating trademark agencies. This classification is a mandatory step in filing an application for registration of a trademark, whether it is an international trademark, community trademark, which ensures protection in all member states of the EU or a trademark that is valid only in a certain country.
“EuroClass” assists in the search and classification of (terms) for goods and services that are necessary when applying for protection of a trademark. It is also possible to translate a list of goods and services and to examine whether these terms are present in the classification databases of the participating agencies. At present, more than half of the national patent offices including OHIM (EU Agency for trademarks and designs) provide data to “EuroClass”. The creation of such a database significantly simplifies the registration procedure, as it is no longer required for the applicant to know the corresponding language when in search of protection in a particular country. The opportunities provided by “Euroclass” are associated with the searching of trademarks and designs, it includes case law, enforcement in the field of intellectual property, as well as tools that are aimed at increasing knowledge in the field of intellectual property.
For more information and/or assistance you may contact „Ilieva, Voutcheva & Co” law firm at office@ivlawfirm.com [1]