On 5 May, the first two convergence projects of the EUIPO’s Strategic Plan 2025, CP13 – ‘Trade mark applications made in bad faith’ and CP14 – ‘Trade marks contrary to public policy or to accepted principles of morality’, were officially approved for launch through written procedure by the Management Board of the EUIPO.

On the occasion of World IP Day (26 April), the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) and the EU-funded CarIPI project are organising the IP Week ‘IP & MSMEs: Taking your ideas to market’.

The State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania (SPB) has successfully implemented new functionalities into its back office system.

The European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) Annual Cooperation Meeting was held online on 21-22 April 2021.

On 5 April 2021 the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO)  completed the implementation of a new set of improvements to its Back Office system for Designs. These were implemented with the support of the EUIPO’s European cooperation projects.

The Hellenic Industrial Property Organisation (OBI) has improved its Back Office system, with the support of the EUIPO’s European Cooperation Projects (ECP2).

The CP11 Common Practice on ‘New types of marks: Examination of formal requirements and grounds for refusal’ was adopted by the Management Board by written procedure in October 2020

The Executive Director of the EUIPO, Christian Archambeau, and Dr Vojko Toman, the Director of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), met online on 8 April 2021.

On 6 April, the Executive Director of the EUIPO and the Director of the National Institute of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KAZPATENT), Mr Yerbol Ospanov, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding providing the basis for technical bilateral cooperation activities.

After being unanimously adopted by the Management Board of the EUIPO in November 2020, the CP12 Common Practice/Recommendations on ‘Evidence in trade mark appeal proceedings’ has now been published across the EU.