Exhibition protection for trade fairs in Germany 2018 (Part 1)

Trade fairs and exhibitions offer the opportunity to present their latest products and services. Exhibitors often take part at relatively short notice with newly developed exhibits, so that the exhibitor did not have time to file a utility model, a design or a trademark with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office for his exhibits.

Exhibition protection in Germany at trade fairs protects such exhibitors and their exhibits. We have listed all trade fairs and exhibitions in Germany 2018 for which the Federal Ministry of Justice grants exhibition protection (Part 1):

Exhibition protection at trade fairs protects against copying by competitors

In the cases mentioned in the introduction, there is a risk that competitors will see the products and services, quickly copy them and subsequently file a utility model, design patent or trademark application for the corresponding product or service. According to the principle of priority, the competitor would then have better rights than the original exhibitor for its products.

In order to prevent such a case, organisers of economically relevant trade fairs can apply for exhibition protection from the Federal Ministry of Justice. Exhibitors at trade fairs with exhibition protection are then permitted to apply retroactively for utility models, designs or a trademark for their exhibits. The so-called grace period for novelty according to § 3 I 3 of the GebrMG, i. e. the time frame in which the registration must be made, is 6 months. The application will then be treated as if it had been received on the first day of the trade fair or exhibition in question.

On 7 December 2017, the Federal Ministry of Justice published the first list of all trade fairs and events that received exhibition protection in 2018. The text of the notice

[box title=”” border_width=”2″ border_color=”#000000″ border_style=”solid” bg_color=”#caddf9″ align=”center”]Pursuant to Section 15 .3 of the Design Act, amended by Article 1.17 (a) of the Act of 10 October 2013, Section 6a (3) of the Utility Model Act, which was amended by Article 3.1 of the Act of 10 October 2013 and § 35 paragraph 3 of the Trademark Act, which has been amended by Article 4 number 1 letter b of the Act of 10 October 2013, is granted exhibition protection for the following exhibitions:[/box]

Exhibition protection is granted for the following German trade fairs:

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Sources:

Bundesanzeiger

picture:

purplegillian /pixabay.com / CCO License