欧盟实施商标和外观新审查指南!

The EUIPO has revised its Examination Guidelines for European Union Trade Marks (EUTM) and Registered Community Designs (RCD). The new edition enters into force on 1 March 2021, following the approval of the Executive Director by means of Decision EX-21-1.

欧盟知识产权局修订了其商标和外观设计审查指南。根据第EX-21-1号决定，欧盟知识产权局新的审查指南于2021年3月1日起正式生效。

The Guidelines are available in both electronic and PDF format on the EUIPO website. The new edition is currently available in five languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Nevertheless, the Guidelines will be made available in the other 18 official languages of the EU during the courses of 2021.

欧盟知识产权局的官网上传了电子版和PDF版的新指南。目前，该新指南支持五种语言：英语、法语、德语、意大利语和西班牙语。欧盟其他18种官方语言版本的指南将会在2021年内补充完毕。

Thanks to the new features introduced in Guidelines in 2019, all the changes in the new edition can be compared with the previous edition by switching on the ‘show modifications’ option at the top part of the electronic version of the Guidelines. For more information on the new edition, a dedicated webinar has been made available.

2019年版指南增加的新功能让客户可以通过点击电子版指南顶部的“显示修改”选项，将新版本中的所有更改与上一版本进行比较。有关新版本的更多信息，可以观看官网上的视频了解。

就欧盟知识产权局审查指南本次修改要点，因篇幅原因，我们选取其中的重要内容简要介绍如下：

1. 审查环节：关于如何修改和限制商品和服务清单

Clarification has been added to better explain a distinction has been made between amendment and restriction, and examples for both have been added. Criteria according to which restrictions and amendments may be accepted or rejected have been added, such as subjectivity, targeted public, intended use or purpose, subject matter and theme.

指南进一步解释了修改产品和限制产品之间的区别，并对两者做了举例。关于修改和限制产品是接受还是驳回，指南也增加了一些标准，例如主体、目标公众、用途或目的、客体、主题。

2.审查环节：对产品和服务的驳回

Clarification has been added regarding the goods and services which should be objected to if these are auxiliary goods or services. Some services have to be considered as stand-alone services and should always be assessed on their own and not as being auxiliary; this is the case for example of advertisement services.

添加了关于辅助商品或服务应驳回的说明。有些服务必须被视为独立服务，应始终对其进行单独评估，而不应认作辅助服务。例如广告服务就是这种情况。

3. 审查环节：关于商标是否能使用颜色名称

Following the Case T 423/18, of 07/05/2019, explanations and examples have been updated and the Office will object to signs consisting of the name of a colour only when it constitutes an objective characteristic, inherent to the nature of that product and intrinsic and permanent with regard to that product or service.

2019年5月5日的T423/18号案件更新了关于这一部分的解释和示例。之后对于此类案件商标主管机关仅在颜色名称与商品或服务客观特征、本质、永久特性一致时才驳回由该颜色名称构成的商标。

4. 审查环节：获得技术成果所需的商品形状或其他特征的驳回

The two steps assessment of sign consisting of shape or other characteristics of goods necessary to obtain a technical result has been further explained as well as the elements that can be taken into account under each step. In particular, it is clarified that information other than that relating to the graphic representation alone, such as the perception of the relevant public, can be taken into account to identify the essential characteristics of the sign at issue. However, for the assessment of the technical result, information which is not apparent from the graphic representation must originate from objective and reliable sources and may not include the perception of the relevant public

对商标的两步评估包括对获得技术结果所必需的商品形状或其他特征，以及在每一步中可以考虑的要素，都做了进一步解释。尤其要说明的是，除了图样本身，相关公众的看法，可以用来识别所讨论标志的基本特征。但是，对于技术成果的评估，从图样展示中无法直接获取的信息必须来自客观可靠的来源，并且该来源可能不包括相关公众的看法。

5. 审查环节：与原产地标志和地理标志冲突的商标的驳回

The Office will no longer object ex officio to trade marks in conflict with GIs when applied for transport services. Transportation services are provided by specialist transport companies whose business is not the manufacture and sale of the goods covered by the GI. This constitutes a change of practice.

当客户申请运输服务时，知识产权局将不再依职权驳回与地理标志冲突的商标。运输服务由专门的运输公司提供，其业务不是地理标志所涵盖的商品的制造和销售。这改变了以往的惯例。

Another change of practice is that trade marks in conflict with GI applications will be objected to; if the applicant does not submit observations or does not overcome the objection, the proceedings will be suspended until the GI registration procedure is concluded.

另一个打破惯例的是：与地理标志冲突的商标申请将会被驳回，如果申请人未提交意见或未能克服驳回，则该商标的审查程序将暂停，直到在先地理标志注册程序结束。

6. 《原产地名称和地理标志里斯本协定日内瓦文本》

Council Decision (EU) 2019/1754 of 7 October 2019 on the accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications approved the accession of the EU to the Geneva Act which entered into force on 26 February 2020. Consequently, this new paragraph 6.2.3 has been added to this Chapter, under GIs not protected under EU Regulations, where it is explained that GIs from non-EU countries protected at EU level via the Geneva Act can form basis for objections pursuant to Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR.

2019年10月7日欧盟理事会2019/1754号决定通过了《原产地名称和地理标志里斯本协定日内瓦文本》，批准了欧盟加入《日内瓦文本》，该法案于 2020年2月26日生效。因此，本章增加了新的第6.2.3段，即不受欧盟法规保护的地理标志，其中解释，根据EUTMR第7(1)(j)条，通过《日内瓦文本》受到欧盟保护的非欧盟国家的地理标志可以构成异议的基础。

7. 异议程序：存在多个异议人的情况

Multiple opponents are admissible only if all of them have entitlement to all the earlier rights. The examples of acceptable and non-acceptable combinations of opponents have been updated. Users are reminded that where the earlier right is owned by several proprietors, it is sufficient to designate only one of them as opponent, being the best way to avoid deficiencies concerning multiple opponents.

当存在多个异议人时，仅当所有反对者都拥有所有在先权利时，才允许多个反对者共同提出异议。可接受和不可接受的异议人组合的说明已更新。但申请人应注意，在先商标权由几个所有人拥有的情况下，仅将其中一个指定为异议人就足够了，这可以有效避免多个异议人共同提异议的缺点。

8. 异议程序：可引用的在线法律文书

A reference to an online database will be accepted to the extent it provides official legal text originating from the government or official body of the Member State concerned, is publicly accessible, free of charge and its search environment is in the langue of the proceedings. The translation of the legal text into the language of the proceedings must also be available at the indicated source or submitted separately within the substantiation period. The WIPO Lex database is a useful source.

只要提供的在线法律文书来源于共同体成员国的政府或官方机构，并且可以公开免费获取，且其搜索语言被诉讼程序接受，就可以接受对该文书的引用。在线法律文书必须能提供诉讼程序接受语言的翻译，或者翻译也可以在质证阶段阶段单独提交。WIPO Lex数据库是有用的资源。（注：WIPO Lex提供对世界各地知识产权法律信息的免费访问。WIPO Lex数据库分为三部分，包括知识产权法律法规、产权组织管理的条约和知识产权相关条约，以及知识产权裁判文书。）

9. 异议程序：关于在先商标中的放弃专用权声明的效力

 A disclaimer cannot have the effect of excluding, or attributing limited importance to, an element of a mark in the comparison of signs and the global assessment of the likelihood of confusion. The disclaimed element of the earlier mark cannot be disregarded in the comparison of signs.

在比较2个近似商标，做是否整体混淆的评估时，放弃专用权部分作为一个商标元素，不能被完全或者有限的排除在外。在比较商标时，不能忽略在先商标的放弃专用权的部分。

10. 销售制造商自己的商品的情况不构成零售

The use of the manufacturer’s trade mark in relation to activities that form an integral part of the offer for the sale of its own goods, does not constitute use for retail services of such goods in class 35.

制造商销售自己的商品时使用自己的商标的情况，并不构成35类的商品零售服务的使用。

11. 提撤销时如何证明对方是恶意注册

An example of the dishonest intention of the applicant has been added: a trade mark application made without any intention to use the trade mark in relation to all or some of the goods and services covered by the registration might constitute bad faith under certain circumstances, if the applicant for registration of that mark had the intention either of undermining the interests of third parties, or of obtaining an exclusive right for purposes other than those falling within the functions of a trade mark.

添加了申请人不诚实意图的示例：如果该商标的注册人有意损害第三方的利益，或出于除商标功能以外的目的从而去获得商标专有权；那么商标在注册所涵盖的全部或部分商品和服务上并未使用的情况是可能构成恶意的。