IP Network: European cooperation

This project includes the implementation of EUIPN tools developed in collaboration with the ECP2 and ECP3 Projects at national and regional IP offices of the EU. These tools cover the whole Trade Mark and Design filing and examination cycle: with Front Office, to support the e-Filing for Trade Marks and Designs, and other tools, such as Back Office, to support the offices in the examination procedure.

This strand of subprojects include major improvements to the Front Office, the Back Office, TMview and DesignView, as well as improvements to the Similarity tool and a subproject to maximise the use of collaborative work tools as well as TMClass.

This project includes a number of subprojects such as: Decision Desktop, to facilitate the decision drafting process for examiners; an Integrated Multiple Assessment Solution (IMAS), to provide decision support tools to examiners; an IT infrastructure through Cloud Computing, to support IP offices by providing cloud computing or similar technologies to secure data provision services across the EUIPN; adaptation of EUIPO tools, to provide new technical solutions for the EUIPN, taking EUIPO internal solutions and technologies as a reference.

Following what is established in Articles 151-152 of the EUTMR, ECP4: Convergence of Practices focuses on promoting the development of common examination standards and practices in cooperation with national and regional IP offices in the EU, with the involvement of users. Within ECP4, an in-depth analysis is carried out in order to find areas of trade marks and designs where harmonisation will bring the greatest benefits to the European Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN). This analysis is carried out under the umbrella of a sub-project called ‘Convergence Analysis’, which helps to lay solid foundations for the development of new Common Practices. These Common Practices usually contain common principles and/or recommendations that are  agreed upon by all the national and regional IP offices in the EU, after consultation with other interested stakeholders such as the user associations that form part of the User Group of the EUIPO and non-EU IP offices. To date, 12 Common Practices have been implemented across the EU and are available on the EUIPN website in all EU languages. Under the SP2025, further Common Practices will be developed.

In addition, under ECP4, the Maintenance of Common Practices sub-project aims at ensuring that the Common Practices already established remain up to date and relevant in an evolving IP landscape.

For more information about ECP4: Convergence of Practices click here.

To consult the Common Practices and other useful training material and FAQs click here.

This Project include a number of subprojects such as: digitising historical files and documentation related to trade mark and design dossiers; project and quality management certifications for IP offices and its staff; on the ground technical support for IP offices; mapping of emerging technologies and business developments to the needs of IP offices; and support to IP offices in developing and monitoring multiannual programmes of cooperation. Finally the launching of EUIPO country coordinators in charge of enhance and improve the current communication and implementation of European Cooperation Projects with MS IPOs.

Given the economic and innovative importance of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU, a key area of the SP2025 focuses on supporting them.

The European Cooperation Project 6 – Supporting SMEs (ECP6) is dedicated to improving the competitiveness of SMEs by raising their awareness of the importance and value of intellectual property rights, and helping them to use these rights more effectively.

ECP6 works in close cooperation with the EUIPO’s SME Programme and other SME-related initiatives. They are based on the European Commission’s priorities, outlined in their Action Plan on Intellectual Property of 25 November 2020, which details the overall aim to harness Europe’s intellectual property (IP) assets.

The project is implemented in collaboration with the central industrial property offices of the Member States and in consultation with user associations. Their involvement is critical to its success because of their proximity to SMEs, their IP and SME stakeholder networks, and their specialised knowledge of national languages and IP matters.

The main goal of this Project is to develop common tools and technical capacity building actions to facilitate IP offices and users in the EU with the complete and efficient transposition of the Trade Mark Directive, in collaboration with the ECP2 and 3 projects. The ECP7 includes three work-streams: TMD implementation support with tools, to analyse the potential areas of development after the implementation of the TMD; TMD implementation support with training, to organise webinars and training events with IPOs and UAs to inform users about the changes introduced; and IP Legislative and Practice Repository, to develop an online platform serving as a central point of access for trade marks and designs guidelines, legal provisions, case law and e-learning.

Under this new Project, the EUIPO and the IP offices aim to cooperate in sharing information and exchanging technical expertise and assistance to ensure interoperability between procedures and systems throughout the Network, and in enhancing consistency, efficiency and effectiveness. The ECP8 Collaborative Services – PEER project aims to establish a network of European IP experts drawn from MS IPOs, UAs and the EUIPO. PEER work-streams will analyse, advise and share tasks in IP areas of mutual interest in National IPR rights, Selected areas of Absolute and Relative Grounds examination, selected areas of Classification of Goods and Services and Product Indications, Designs, Collaboration in Parallel trade mark applications and Development of EUIPN Prospective Capabilities.

The first workstream launched will be the Peer on the National rights (article 8.4 EUTM) by creating a PEER network of experts which will act advisory and consultation resource on specific National IP rights. Through these work-streams the PEER network will additionally provide input for: ECP7 IP Legislative and Practice Repository project, ECP4 Maintenance of Common Practices project, ECP2 Similarity tool, EUIPN OC Classification WG meeting on trade marks and designs.

This collaborative work to harmonise approaches to a range of IP issues will communicate increased clarity, legal certainty, quality and usability for both applicants and MS IPOs. The ECP8 also includes the European Network of Authenticities subproject, in which IP offices aim to become key national actors in the fight against counterfeiting.