注册德国商标的流程以及德国商标的异议

  德国商标注册流程和程序:

  DPMA(数据处理管理协会)将审查手续方面的商标申请(例如,货物或服务的正确分类和全额支付申请费用)以及拒绝的绝对理由。 DPMA将以官方的方式提出任何缺陷,给予申请人至少一个月的回覆。这些时期可根据要求进行扩展。根据DPMA首次发布决定的情况,该决定可以在通知一个月内通过对DPMA的行政上诉或直接向专利法庭上诉而上诉。可以向专利法院上诉DPMA上诉部门的决定。在极少数情况下,法院的裁决可以向联邦法院提出上诉。商标发行和注册发生在DPMA已经发放补贴(没有任何官方的行动,这可能在申请三到六个月之间完成,虽然可能有很大差异)。该商标自商标注册登记之日起计算第三方效力,也就是商标必须在五年宽限期内被正式使用的日期,除非反对提出。在反对的情况下,开始日期推迟到反对党作出最后决定的日期。


  在德国注册商标发布三个月后,可以提出反对,只要相应的费用也被支付。反对派所依据的权利及其范围必须明确指出。


  对于每一项权利,必须另行提出反对,反对新标准。一般来说,反对诉讼是没有口头听证的书面诉讼。一个典型的案例将涉及一轮或两轮的简短提交。目前,在DPMA之前的反对诉讼中,可能需要至少一年时间才能做出第一个决定。


  反对派可能基于德国旧商标和CTM,德国现行的国际商标和德国保护的商标。也可以将反对意见置于旧的商标申请之上。


  如果较新的商标或其规范中声明的商品和服务与反对派所依据的较旧的权利相同或(混淆),则基于旧权利的可接受的反对意见将会成功,这包括与旧标记相关联的危险。基本上,老龄知名、著名或臭名昭著的商标的保护范围将更广泛。


  如果必须使用商标,则相反较新的商标的所有者可能会对真正使用进行竞争。在这种情况下,对手必须在前五年内确定真正的使用期限,以达成DPMA的书面诉讼。与CTM反对程序相比,重要的区别在于相关使用期限向前推进(即,最新的商标被申请并持续到最终决定的日期之前必须进行真正的使用),除非使用是特别的豁免。


  反对意见也可以以反对商标的名义以(通常为外国)商标所有人的代理人或其他代表的名义登记为理由。


  如果和反对成功的程度相反,一旦裁定是终局的、具有约束力的、反对的商标将被清除。


  任何业主可以随时通过向DPMA提交相应的书面请求,完全放弃商标或某些商品或服务的商标。


  在注册之日起五年内(视情况而定),反对意见中的最终决定被视为无效的商标。但是,只要支付维护费用,公章就会继续存在,因为不需要声明或使用证据。如果商标必须真正使用,任何第三方可以随时提出撤销请求。如果业主在两个月内没有反对,该商标将被撤销。如果有反对意见,第三方被告知,然后可以根据与德国专门地区法院不能使用的撤销行为。如果所有者在提出撤销请求之前已经开始真正使用,即使没有使用五年以上,商标也不会被撤销。然而,在业主意识到其潜在备案之后,在取消请求之前不到三个月的使用将不被考虑。


  任何一方可以提出撤销请求,如果:


  (1)该商标已经成为由于业主的行为或不活动而注册的商品或服务的贸易中的通用名称;


  (2)使用该商标的行为有可能误导公众,特别是对这些商品或服务的性质、质量或地理来源的误导。


  此外,如果所有者不履行其法律要求,任何一方可以提出撤销请求。


  由于存在绝对拒绝理由,如果在注销申请取消决定之后仍然存在保护障碍,并且在注册日期的10年内要求取消,该商标也可能被撤销和取消。关于列举数目的理由,如果程序在注册日期之后的头两年内开始,而且注册明显违反有限的条款,则可以依职权取消商标。


  这些理由仅适用于商标注册的某些商品和服务,在这种情况下,取消仅涉及商标的该部分。


  作为反对诉讼的替代方案,旧商标的所有者可以随时根据德国现行的较旧商标或商业名称提出取消请求。然而,即使符合其他要求,如果旧商标的所有者明知地容忍对其注册的商品或服务的新标记使用连续5年的时间,则不会取消注册。除非较新的商标是恶意获得的,或旧版权所有人以前同意注册和使用。此外,如果注册年限较长的商标在发布新商标的注册日期已被取消,则无法取消订单。


  可以向DPMA提交根据原始或随后的拒绝绝对理由,缺乏拥有商标和缺乏真正使用权的取消请求。


  取消撤销或由于存在较早权利(仅由该等权利的所有人)提起的诉讼也可以在有关的高级地区法院开始。


商标可以在通过支付适用的维护费用申请提交其注册的部分或全部商品和服务后续期10年。所有更新和删除将记录在注册表中,可以在德国专利商标局官网上在线访问。


German trademark registration process and procedures :

DPMA ( Data Processing Management Association ) will review trademark applications for formalities ( e.g., correct classification of goods or services and full payment of application fees ) and the absolute grounds for rejection. DPMA will submit any defects in an official manner, giving the applicant a return of at least one month. These periods can be expanded according to requirements. On the basis of the first decision issued by DPMA, the decision may be appealed through an administrative appeal against DPMA or directly to the Patent Tribunal within one month of notification. The decision of DPMA Appellate Department can be appealed to the Patent Court. In very few cases, the court ’ s ruling can appeal to the federal court. Trademark issuance and registration occurred in DPMA has been granted subsidies ( no official action, which may be completed between three to six months, although there may be great differences ). The third-party effectiveness of the trademark shall be calculated from the date of registration of the trademark, i.e. the date on which the trademark must be formally used within a five-year grace period, unless the objection is raised. In the case of objection, the starting date is postponed to the date when the opposition party makes the final decision.

 

Three months after the issuance of the German registered trademark, objections may be made as long as the corresponding costs are paid. The rights on which the opposition is based and their scope must be clearly stated.


For each right, it is necessary to object to the new standard. Generally speaking, objection litigation is a written litigation without oral hearing. A typical case will involve one or two rounds of brief submission. At present, it may take at least one year to make the first decision in the opposition proceedings before DPMA.

 

The opposition may be based on German old trademarks and CTM, German existing international trademarks and German protected trademarks. The objection can also be placed on the old trademark application.

 

If the goods and services declared in the newer trademark or its norms are the same or ( confused ) with the older rights on which the opposition is based, the acceptable objections based on the old rights will succeed, including the risks associated with the old mark. Basically, older well-known, well-known or notorious trademarks will be protected more broadly.

 

If a trademark must be used, the owners of the opposite newer trademark may compete for genuine use. In this case, the adversary must determine the real duration of use within the first five years to reach a written DPMA lawsuit. Compared with the CTM objection procedure, the important difference is that the relevant use period advances ( that is, the latest trademark is applied and must be used before the final decision date ), unless the use is especially exempt.

 

Objections may also be registered on behalf of an agent or other representative of the owner of the trademark ( usually foreign ) in the name of the objecting trademark.


If opposed to the degree of success, once the ruling is final, binding, against the trademark will be removed.

 

Any owner may at any time submit the corresponding written request to DPMA, completely abandon the trademark or some goods or services trademark.

 

Within five years from the date of registration ( as the case may be ), the final decision in the objection is regarded as invalid trademark. However, as long as maintenance costs are paid, the statute will continue to exist as there is no need to declare or use evidence. If the trademark must be genuinely used, any third party may at any time request for revocation. If the owner does not object within two months, the trademark will be revoked. If there is an objection, a third party is informed and may then be revoked on the basis of an act which cannot be used by the German District Court. If the owner has started to use the trademark before making the revocation request, the trademark will not be revoked even if it has not been used for more than five years. However, the use less than three months before the request is cancelled will not be taken into account after the owner realizes its potential filing.

 

Any party may make a request for revocation if :

 

( 1 ) The trade mark has become a common name in trade in goods or services registered as a result of the conduct or inactivity of the proprietor ;

 

( 2 ) The use of the trade mark may mislead the public, in particular the nature, quality or geographical origin of such goods or services.

 

In addition, if the owner fails to comply with its legal requirements, either party may make a request for revocation.


Due to the absolute refusal reason, if there are still protection obstacles after the cancellation decision of the cancellation application and the cancellation is required within 10 years of the registration date, the trademark may also be revoked and cancelled. With regard to the reasons for the enumeration, the trademark may be removed ex officio if the procedure commences within the first two years after the date of registration and the registration clearly violates the limited terms.

 

These reasons are only applicable to certain goods and services registered by trademarks. In this case, this part only involves trademarks is cancelled.

 

As an alternative to the anti-litigation, the owners of old trademarks can make cancellation requests at any time according to the existing older trademarks or business names in Germany. However, even if other requirements are met, registration will not be cancelled if the owner of the old trademark clearly tolerates the use of the new mark on the goods or services registered by him for five consecutive years. Unless the newer trademark is maliciously acquired, or the old copyright owner has previously agreed to register and use it. In addition, if the trademark with a long registration period has been cancelled on the registration date of issuing the new trademark, the order cannot be cancelled.


It is possible to submit to DPMA a cancellation request based on the original or subsequent absolute reasons for refusal, lack of trademark ownership and lack of real right to use.

 

Cancellation or due to the existence of earlier rights ( only by the owners of such rights ) can also be initiated in the relevant senior regional courts.

 

The trademark can be submitted to the registration of some or all of the goods and services for 10 years after the application for payment of applicable maintenance costs. All updates and deletions will be recorded in the registry and can be accessed online by the German Patent and Trademark Office.