The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has released the issue #5 this year of the “Alicante News”. This time’s focus: The success and the international Expansion of EUIPO’s database TMview. Read more about in the article:
TMview: The international expansion
With a database that stretches across the globe, and more than 44 million trade marks, TMview is now the world’s largest, free, online trade mark search engine. It contains data from every single one of the EU Member States, and thanks to the international cooperation work carried out by EUIPO in conjunction with its international partners, it has grown in leaps and bounds over the past seven years. Its focus is now a global one.
TMview launched on 12 April 2010 with trade marks from EUIPO, WIPO and six EU IP national and regional offices: the Benelux; the Czech Republic; Denmark; the UK; Italy; and Portugal. By the end of its first year of operations, as it expanded across the EU, it had close to five million trade marks in its database; trade mark information that was updated daily and available online, 24/7, at no cost whatsoever to users.
But in June 2013, TMview took its first steps outside the EU, with Norway and Mexico joining the tool. Turkey soon followed, along with Morocco, and at the end of 2013, Russia and the U.S.A.
After that, international integrations of data came thick and fast. Korea. Tunisia. Iceland. Serbia. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Canada. Switzerland. Japan (marking the fourth TM5 partner to join, along with EUIPO, Korea and the U.S.A.).
TMview’s reach spread to South East Asia, encompassing all ASEAN Member States in ASEAN TMview, a standalone search tool with over three million ASEAN trade marks available in regional languages. The Cambodian and Malaysian intellectual property offices first integrated into ASEAN TMview, and then shared their data with the main tool – ASEAN TMview served as a springboard for global reach.
Brazil and India’s incorporation meant two fastgrowing world economies shared their trade mark data with the tool. When ARIPO, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation, joined TMview, it brought with it trade marks from 19 sub-Saharan African member states.
Today, TMview covers nearly every continent in the world, with 57 offices inside the tool, and a host of concrete benefits. It is linked to WIPO’s Global Brand Database, speeding up search possibilities for users; a search can be replicated inside WIPO’s system without having to be redone.
TMview has made huge strides over the past seven years. It is now a truly global database, and one which is growing every year – not just in terms of content but also in terms of use. The tool now averages nearly 900,000 searches per month, a 20% growth on 2016. At the heart of EUIPO’s oldest flagship tool is a commitment to collaboration and shared working between international trade mark offices; a commitment which puts the needs of users front and centre.
April-Statistics: A lot more Trade Mark applications received, but less Community Designs
Overview: Topics in Alicante News May 2017
- James Nurton Interviews: Luis-Alfonso Durán
- European Union Trade Mark: Grounds for refusal
- Statistical Highlights: April 2017
- EUIPN Updates: TM5 mid-term meeting
- More News: Trade mark reform
- More News: New online form for international applications
- More News: Open data platform
- Case Law: Luxembourg trade mark and design news
- Case Law: New decisions from the Boards of Appeal
About Alicante News
ALICANTE NEWS is edited by EUIPO and published on the first working day of every month. The aim is to provide up-to-date information on EUIPO-related matters, as well as on other general IP issues, to the users of the European Union trade mark and design registration systems.
The EUTM and RCD sections publish articles produced by EUIPO’s Knowledge Circles and analyse the latest issues relating to trade mark and design case law. The Case Law section gives a monthly rundown of cases brought before the Courts in Luxembourg and the Boards of Appeal.
Source:
Text + Graphics: Official Alicante News May 2017 PDF
