Brussels, 20/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) was set up twenty years ago in Alicante, Spain. On 17 November last, OHIM celebrated this anniversary with the inauguration of new buildings that are better adapted to the scale of its task. Over the past two decades, OHIM has become the EU's biggest agency.
1.3 million requests for Community trademarks have been submitted since 1994, as well as 800,000 requests to register Community designs or models. OHIM is delighted that these figures supersede the most optimistic forecasts previously made.
This body plays a key role in ensuring protection of intellectual property rights in the internal market. Almost 40% of European economic business is carried out by companies that have an extremely high level of intellectual property rights requirements, according to a joint survey carried out by the OHIM and the European Patents Office. (MD)