By Gemma Lougheed - 16th October 2005
The EU will next week lower fees for trade mark protection and registration.
The EU’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) is to make intellectual property protection cheaper for businesses operating in Europe’s internal market.
A special discount of €150 is available to those who file applications or renewal requests via the internet using OHIM’s e-filing technology.
The cost cutting will see the basic application fee drop from €975 to €900, or €750 for applications filed electronically.
Registration fees will fall from €1100 to €850 and all new fees are expected to be in place by November 1.
European Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy hailed the fee reduction as good news for EU businesses.
“I welcome this reduction in fees. It’s great news for businesses, who will now be able to get EU-wide trademark protection at very attractive rates, especially if they do it online,” he said.
“It will also stimulate economic activity in this sector. OHIM is showing that, like the businesses it serves, it is keenly aware of the need to run its affairs efficiently and offer value for money.”
This is the first time that fees have been reduced by OHIM which has been in existence since 1996.
OHIM has reported an large increase in the number of applications which it attributes to the internationalising of the member state economies.
National trade mark agencies do exist but OHIM allows business to have products trademarked throughout all 25 member states and infringements can be executed in the whole of the EU in a single administrative operation.
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