Abstract:
Since the Regulation (EC) No 40/94 has been formally adopted in 1993, the dual approach of EU trademark system achieved great success. On one hand, it has established an EU-wide trademark system according to the Community Trade Marks Regulation; on the other hand, it has allowed an harmonisation of the EU Member States’ national trademark system according to the Directive 89/104/EEC. However, since the implementation of the EU trademark system, different kinds of critical issues have been and are still being raised. In order to further deepen the integration process of EU trademark system and to modernise it, and after a nearly ten-year reform process, the EU trademark reform legislative package has been adopted in December, 2015. The reform consists of two legislative instruments: Directive (EU) 2015/2436, which replaces the existing EU Trade Mark Directive, and Regulation (EU) 2015/2424, which amends the existing EU Trade Mark Regulation.These reforms have introduced substantial changes in the aspects of the name of the Office, registration procedures, fee system, suspected counterfeit goods in transit, strength of trademark protection etc. As the most integrated regional political and economic organization, the EU trademark law reforms will not only have an impact at the EU level, but also will have some influence internationally. Therefore, this topic is of a high importance and deserves great concern.
