01 Aug 2020
For the past two decades, rather than having to seek only country by country protection through the separate national offices of the member states, prospective right-holders can now obtain – via a single application – a registration that, once granted, covers automatically all of the European Union ("EU") member states. Being a multi-jurisdictional unitary right, the scope of protection of an EU trade mark ("EUTM") is indivisible. Its nature is tied directly to what constitutes the single market of the EU, underpinning the development of "Fortress Europe" so as to facilitate the free movement of goods and to give broad protection for rights-holders through the grant of EU-wide injunctions against infringers.