What is an opposition under the UK Trade Mark application?
The UK Patent Office checks whether or not other companies or individuals have registered similar marks (conceptual, aural and visual similarities). If the Patent Office’s objections can be overcome, then the application is published in the “Official Journal”. This allows the public to oppose the application for a period of 3 months. If your the mark is challenged by way of opposition, then there will be an official arbitration process (called an “Opposition”). Most oppositions are settled before they become confrontational. In May 2004, new procedures were introduced to make it possible to challenge the validity of trade marks used by owners to oppose new applications by requesting that those owners prove that they have used their mark in the last 5 years. What is the difference between a United States Registrations and a European registration? 1. A United States federal registration covers the entire U.S.; the European mark covers the entire European community. 2. In the U.S., state
