Brussels, 01/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 31 March, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Charlie McCreevy announced a substantial reduction in the taxes applied by the Office of Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM), the European agency in charge of registering community trademarks. "In practice, this means that those who file their applications via the internet will pay just €900 compared to €1,600 which is paid at present. Those who don't use the internet will pay a little more. So in future, businesses will be paying at least 40% less for obtaining a Community trademark - and as much as 44% less when using the internet", he said. The president of OHIM, Wubbo de Boer, said that the agency should not impose undue financial rates on businesses. The new tax, which will be applicable from 1 May 2009, will merge together the two taxes currently applied: one at the time of making the application and the other when the trademark is registered. Businesses and people whose applications are currently being processed will not have to pay registration tax. OHIM, which has granted more than 500,000 to date, makes large annual profits and has built up reserves in excess of €350 million since 1996. The reduction in taxes will help to re-balance the budget of the Office. However, nothing has yet been decided for the use of the financial reserve. An exhaustive study of the workings of the European Community trademark system should help to answer this question, but the Commission was unable to say when this would be launched. A review of the new rules will take place in two years' time. See our dossier on OHIM and the Community trademark (see EUROPE 9864). (M.B./transl.fl)