1. Trademarks electronic filing
Jean-Marie Putz
IT Manager
15 june 2006

2. What I will not tell you about electronic filing of trademarks…
I have often made presentations about electronic filing, and I understand some topics are rather boring…

3. Boring figures

4. Boring technology BMBConnect is available as
A web form
A client
A module in vendor’s programs
A new version will be available soon
In Java

5. What I will tell you about electronic filing of trademarks…
I have often made presentations about electronic filing, and I understand some topics are rather boring…

6. The world of Trademarks

7. Trademarks filing Seen from the office point of view Mission Tasks
Receive trademark demands
Register trademarks
Publish trademarks
Tasks
Check formalities
Apply legal prescriptions
Apply agreed standards (e.g. Nice Classification) (uniformization of publication)
To make their life easier, Trademark Offices invented forms.
To reduce their workload, they want applicants fill in the Office database…

8. Trademarks filing Seen from the applicant point of view
This is Bob, the painter…
Mission
Run his business
Tasks
Find customers
Do his job
Registering a trademark is not an easy administrative process
Trademark standards are not common language
Trademark registering is not a natural phenomenon…
… but we believe it should be

9. Trademarks filing The partners The office Bob Requests a form
Sends a form
Tries to fill in the form
Requests help and advice
Applies for registration of a trademark
Provides help, but no advice
Gets angry
In reality it is not that easy…
Sends the form … (or not)

10. Trademarks filing The partners (2) The office Bob The agent
The agent helps with formalities (because the procedure is not easy)
The agent provides good advice

11. Electronic filing The electronic partners The office Bob
Form is available on Internet Form provides help Form avoids input errors…
…Form is easy to use, but
Form does not provide advice…
The agent provides good advice

12. The real world

13. In the real world… Bob is painting
Bob is living in Schengen, Luxemburg
…and he is aware of the importance of having a registered trademark

14. If Benelux was an island
Schengen
But Benelux is not an island…

15. Schengen

16. Bob is a good painter…
He wants to extend his business to France and Germany…
He has several possibilities:
Register directly in France and in Germany
Register in Benelux, and extend through Madrid system
Register at OHIM

17. And so on… The traditional way (1) Registering in France and Germany
Tries to fill in the forms
Requests a form
Sends a form
Requests help and advice

18. The traditional way (2) Applies for a trademark
and asks for international extension
WIPO
Germany
France

19. The traditional way (3) OHIM Applies for an European TM
Which is not easier than applying for a national trademark…

20. European trademark
Applying for an European trademark, Bob will get protection in the whole European community.
Question: did he really want this ?
Does he really need this… ?

21. The ideal world

22. In an ideal situation…. Indicates the countries he is interessed in
Applies for a trademark
Computer lets him choose the desired procedure
Computer sends the application form to the desired office(s)

23. Is this possible?… Requirements Standards
A common electronic filing platform
A common will to cooperate
A kind of harmonization between trademarks offices
Standards
Existing TM-XML (will be Wipo standard ST66)…

24. Bringing the worlds together
Let’s protect trademarks…

25. Thank you for your attention
Discussion