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Art 126 of the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community which was published on 14 Nov 2018 provides for a transition or implementation period to begin no later than 29 March 2018 and continue at least until 31 Dec 2020. During that period, EU law would continue to apply to and subsist in the UK by virtue of art 127. That would include the legislation establishing EU trade marks, Community designs and plant breeders' rights, geographical indications, database rights and supplementary protection certificates.
Preservation of EU Intellectual Property Rights
At the end of the implementation period, all IP rights granted under EU law would lapse pursuant to art 50 (3) of the Treaty on European Union. Arts 54 to 61 of the draft withdrawal agreement make provision for the preservation of those rights as UK intellectual property rights at the end of the implementation period. The draft withdrawal agreement makes no provision for the Unified Patent Court Agreement which is awaiting German ratification. However, if Germany ratifies the Unified Patent Court Agreement during the implementation period there would appear to be no reason why that agreement should not come into force during that period, What would happen after that will depend on the terms of the UK's future relationship with the EU.
Future Relationship
As I said in A Withdrawal Agreement Reading Guide of 15 Nov 2018, bullet points for an agreement on the future relationship appear in the Outline of the Political Declaration setting out the Framework for the Future Relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom, The bullet point on intellectual property could not be briefer:
- "Protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights beyond multilateral treaties to stimulate innovation, creativity and economic activity."
The words "beyond multilateral treaties" are at least compatible with the possibility of continued British participation in the UPC Agreement.
Trade Marks, Registered Designs and Plant Varieties
Art 54 (1) of the draft withdrawal agreement provides for the conversion of EU trade marks, registered Community designs and plant varieties into corresponding British IP rights:
"The holder of any of the following intellectual property rights which have been registered or granted before the end of the transition period shall, without any re-examination, become the holder of a comparable registered and enforceable intellectual property right in the United Kingdom under the law of the United Kingdom:Art 55 (1) requires the registration of converted trade marks, design registrations and plant varieties to be free of charge. The Intellectual Property Office and Plant Variety Rights Office will use data supplied by the EU Intellectual Property Office and Community Plant Variety Office pursuant to art 55 (3). The UK will honour international trade mark and design applications design applications that designate the European Union during the implementation period pursuant to art 56.
(a) the holder of a European Union trade mark registered in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council shall become the holder of a trade mark in the United Kingdom, consisting of the same sign, for the same goods or services;
(b) the holder of a Community design registered and, where applicable, published following a deferral of publication in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 shall become the holder of a registered design right in the United Kingdom for the same design;
(c) the holder of a Community plant variety right granted pursuant to Council Regulation (EC)No 2100/94 shall become the holder of a plant variety right in the United Kingdom for the same plant variety."
Those new converted rights would be revoked, declared invalid or null and void or cancelled automatically pursuant to art 54 (3) if the corresponding EU right were revoked, declared invalid or null and void or cancelled by any administrative or judicial proceedings which was ongoing before the end of the implementation period. However, the article makes clear that that would not happen if the grounds of revocation, invalidity or cancellation did not apply to the UK. In particular, art 54 (5) (b) provides that a converted trade mark will not be revoked on grounds of no genuine use in the EU if it has been put to genuine use in the UK even if the corresponding EU trade mark is revoked.
The priority date for a converted trade mark will be the same as for the corresponding EU trade mark (art 54 (5) (a)). The date of filing or priority of a converted registered design or plant variety right shall be the same as for the corresponding Community right (art 54 (6) (b)). Arr 54 (5) (c) entitles the proprietor of a converted trade mark that has acquired a reputation in the EU before the end of the implementation period to sue under s,10 (3) of the Trade Marks Act 1994. The renewal date for converted trade marks and registered designs in the UK would be the same as for the corresponding EU trade mark or registered Community design in the EU (art 54 (4)). The term of protection for a converted registered design or plant variety right in the UK shall be at least as long as the remaining period of protection for the corresponding registered Community design or plant variety in the EU (art 54 (6) (a)).
Where an application for an EU trade mark or registered Community design is made but not granted during the implementation period. art 59 (1) entitles the applicant to apply for UK trade mark or, as the case may be, registered design with the same priority date as the EU trade mark or registered Community design so long as the application is made within 9 months of the end of the implementation period. Art 59 (2) provides a similar right for applicants for Community plant varieties save that the application must be made within 6 months of the end of the implementation period.
Unregistered Community Designs
The UK is required by art 57 to create an unregistered design right equivalent to unregistered Community designs and to protect unregistered Community designs that come into being before the end of the implementation period under that new right.
Database Rights
Art 58 (1) requires the UK to continue to recognize database rights that are acquired before the end of the trnsition period to the same extent as they are protected in the remaining member states provided that holders of those rights continue to comply with the qualification requirements set out in art 11 of Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases (OJ L 77, 27.3.1996, p. 20). Conversely, British nationals will continue to enjoy database rights that are acquired in the remaining member states before the end of the implementation period.
Supplemental Protection Certificates
Applications to the IPO for supplemental protection certificates in respect of plant protection and medicinal products within the transition period but not yet granted will be treated as though they had been granted during the implementation period (art 60).
Geographical Indications
Art 54 (2) requires the British government to pass legislation to protect in the UK geographical indications, designation of origin or traditional specialities in the same way and to the same extent as they are protected in the EU. Any such right subsisting in the EU at the end of the implementation period will continue to apply in the UK after the end of that period, Such right shall cease to apply in the UK if it ceases to apply in the EU.
Further Information
It is stressed that these arrangements shall apply only if the withdrawal agreement comes into force. Should it fail to do so readers should consult the guidance that has been given by the British government in the event of the UK's departure from the EU without a withdrawal agreement (see IP after Brexit - the Government's Guidance 22 Oct 2018 NIPC Law, Patents if there’s no Brexit Deal 3 Oct 2018 NIPC Brexit, Geographical Indications after Brexit 6 Oct 2018 NIPC Branding, EU Trade Marks and Community Designs after Brexit 15 Oct 2018 NIPC Brexit, Copyright and Related Rights after Brexit 19 Oct 2018 NIPC Brexit, and Plant Breeders' Rights after Brexit 21 Oct 2018 NIPC Brexit).
Anyone wishing to discuss this article or IP generally should call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.
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