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Amendments to Trademark Laws

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Okt 01, 2011 (Newsletter Issue 11/11)
Sweden
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New Trademark Law


On July 2011, a new trade Mark Act came into force. It replaces the old Trademark Act and the Collective Marks Act after more than 50 years. The new law brings Swedish trademark regulation in line with the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks. The Swedish Patent and Trademark Office (PRV) has now published the most important amendments:

- If your application is dismissed, the new act introduces the possibility of having your application reinstated for processing.

- Formerly, the PRV rejected the entire application even if the hindrance to registration only existed for some of the goods or services you have applied for. Following the new Law, the PRV will reject an application only to the extent that there is a hindrance.

- If someone else submits an application for registration of a trademark that you consider to be yours, you can request the transfer of the application to you. In this case, you need to show that you have better rights to the respective mark.

- The new act contains provisions for administrative revocation. It means that instead of applying for a summons in the district cour, you can request that PRV revokes a registration.

- The opposition period changed to three months of the public notification date.

- A surname will constitute a hindrance to registration in far fewer cases than before. Therefore, anyone who has a distinctive surname must themselves monitor and make sure that no one else registers the name as a trademark to a greater extent than today. Even with regards to artist names, there can be reason for the name owner to monitor his rights to a greater extent.

- The renewal of the registration can even be made by someone other than the owner.

- The owner of a trademark registration, who is neither resident nor running a business in Sweden, must notify PRV of a service agent resident in Sweden. A Notice is regarded to have been served if it has been sent to the address for service stated in the trademark registration.

- A final decision by PRV can be appealed against to the Court of Patent Appeals within two months of the decision date. Even others than the applicant can appeal, if the decision goes against the complainant.

- Confidentiality in trademark cases can be requested by a trademark opponent or owner, if the information is related to business or operating conditions. Information about the party requesting confidentiality cannot be kept secret. Information which is relevant to the assessment of a trademark validity or scope of protection cannot be kept secret either.

For more information on the new trademark law please click here