Brussels, 08/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Office for the Harmonisation of the Internal Market (OHIM) has announced that it will automatically extend protection on brands, designs and Community models when Bulgaria and Romania joint the European Union. Without incurring additional expenses, Community brands and designs will become valid over the whole of the EU, as was the case in 2004 with accession of the ten new countries. At the end of October Wubbo de Boer, the president of OHIM declared at a meeting of OHIM representatives, MEPs and business leaders at the Kangaroo Initiative that, “This involves a nice president to the owner and allows for the extension of his intellectual property rights”.
Mr de Boer pointed out that OHIM's mission was to: register Community brands, as well as Community models and designs, which confer the holder with valid protection in all Member States through a single procedure. He indicated that Community brands, designs and models co-exist with national law and it is the companies that decide whether they want to obtain protection a national or European level. In 2005, 62579 requests were submitted for obtaining Community brands at OHIM, a figure that increased by almost 5% compared to 2004. In the same year, 64000 from 80 counties were submitted for registration of Community models and designs. (Information: http: //oami.europa.eu/) (mb)