On January 17 2019, the Intellectual Property Office of the UK (UKIPO) issued an official document illustrating the possible impacts of Brexit on EU design and trademark. Here is the link for the full text:
2019年1月17日，英国知识产权局（UKIPO）发布了一则官方文件。文件阐释了英国脱欧对欧盟外观和商标可能存在的影响。全文链接如下：
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-marks-and-designs-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/trade-marks-and-designs-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
It can be seen that Brexit has caused considerable disputes within the UK government and relevant matters often hit the headlines of the world news. Despite the interests of the parties and the people represented by them and their dissatisfaction with the current deal, Brexit is set on an unstoppable course. However, the risk of a No-Deal Brexit is increasing day by day. As a IP agent living in UK for many years, I receive consultations from a lot of Chinese Associates. After reading official documents from UKIPO, exchanging views with IP agents, agencies and researchers, I hereby offer the likely scenarios of Brexit for Chinese associates’ and clients’reference:
显然，脱欧已在英国政府内部已经引起诸多争执，并且经常占据全球新闻头条。无论英国各利益党派或其背后代表的人民对目前的协议多么不满，脱欧已然势在必行。此外，无协议脱欧的风险与日俱增。作为一名在英国工作多年的知识产权代理人，我收到许多中国同行的咨询。在参考英国知识产权局官方信息，与知识产权代理人、代理机构及知识产权研究人员沟通后，特将英国脱欧对欧盟商标和外观影响可能存在的情况简单分析如下，以供国内的各位同行和客户参考：
① Brexit with a deal
an orderly Brexit will transpire on March 29, 2019 with a two-year transition period ending on January 1 2021, during which specific projects will be clarified but we don’t know what the exact contents will be. ( The current deal is difficult to be passed due to the fierce increasingly fierce disputes)
①有协议的脱欧
自2019年3月29日起，根据协议内容有序脱欧，过渡期至2021年1月1日。在此期间会明确具体项目，但具体内容我们仍然不得而知。（鉴于日渐激烈的争执，目前的协议在英国政府内部很难通过）
② Brexit without a deal
all walks of life in the UK are more convinced that there will be no consensus reached within the UK government before March 29, 2019. Therefore, it is more likely that the UK will leave the EU without a deal. The Intellectual Property Office of the UK (UKIPO) indicates that if there is a No-Deal Brexit., the EU Design and trademark would be treated as follows:
② 无协议脱欧
英国各行各业更加相信英国政府内部无法在2019年3月29日前达成共识，因此实际上最有可能发生的是无协议脱欧，英国知识产权局(UKIPO)目前表示在无协议脱欧情况下，欧盟外观和商标很可能会面临如下处理方式：
（1）Continued protection of registered trade marks and designs in the UK before 29 March 2019：The government will ensure that the property rights in all existing registered EU trade marks and registered Community designs will continue to be protected and to be enforceable in the UK by providing an equivalent trade mark or design registered in the UK. Right holders with an existing EU trade mark or registered Community design will have a new UK equivalent right granted that will come into force at the point of the UK’s exit from the EU. The new UK right will be provided with minimal administrative burden. The trade mark or design will then be treated as if it had been applied for and registered under UK law. This means that these trade marks and designs will be subject to renewal in the UK and can form the basis for proceedings before the UK Courts and the Intellectual Property Office’s Tribunal and can be assigned and licensed independently from the EU right.（1）2019年3月29日前已核准注册的欧盟商标和外观：确保所有现有的欧盟注册商标和外观继续得到保护，这一决定可能将在英国强制执行。现拥有欧盟商标和外观的权利人将在英国获得一项新的同等权利，该权利将在英国正式脱欧时生效。这样的话，新的英国权利行政负担会很小（可能不会产生费用）。这些商标和外观将被视为是根据英国法律申请和注册的，这意味着这些商标和设计将在英国自动生效，但是其后必须根据英国相关规定在英国办理续展，它们可以构成英国法院诉讼程序的基础，也可以在脱欧后独立于欧盟进行转让和许可。（2）Continued protection of unregistered Community designs before 29 March 2019：
The applicant has 9 months (before December 29 2019) to submit an identical application to the UKIPO, which means that the applicant must pay the official fee according to the relevant UK regulations and accept the UKIPO ‘s review and then obtain the UK registration certificate. (Equivalent to a new UK application), but UKIPO accepts and acknowledges that the application date of the previous EU application to be the application date of the UK application.
（2）2019年3月29日前已经提交申请，但尚未被核准注册的欧盟商标和外观：申请人有9个月的时间（在2019年12月29日前）向UKIPO提交同等的申请请求，这意味着：申请人必须根据英国相关规定缴纳官费，并接受UKIPO的审查，获得英国注册证书（相当于办理新的英国申请），但是UKIPO接受并承认欧盟申请的申请日为英国申请的申请日。（3） EU trademark and design application filed after March 29 2019 will not be protected in the UK and applicants must submit a UK application to the UKIPO to make it protected in the UK.（3）2019年3月29日后提交的任何欧盟商标和外观申请不在英国受到保护，申请人必须单独向UKIPO提交申请才能在英国受到保护。At present, the EU and the UK Offices hold different views over the impacts of Brexit on EU trademark and design. How will the both Offices act after Brexit is undetermined. We believe that a clear way in dealing with the previously applied trademark would be showed to us by the EU and UK Offices after March 29 2019. In any case, we will pay attention to the latest movements in IP after Brexit and share with you in time.
目前，欧盟和英国商标局在英国脱欧对欧盟商标和外观影响方面的看法并不一致。因此英国脱欧后，知识产权方面具体会如何执行仍然是待定的。可能要到2019年3月29日后，参考商标局对之前申请的商标的执行办法，我们才能知道一个明确的处理办法。无论如何，我们会持续关注英国脱欧后IP方面的最新动态，并及时与您分享。
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