IP Insights. What will block your trademark registration? Part 2 – Trademarks contrary to public or to accepted principles of morality

It is not possible to register trademarks that are contrary to public policy or accepted principles of morality at the Polish Patent Office and EUIPO. The legislation does not provide a definition of what is meant by “public policy” or “accepted principles of morality” nor does it explain the relationship between the two concepts.

With help in this regard came another common practice, CP14, created by the Intellectual Property Offices in member states and user associations actively cooperating under the established European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN).

Read the latest edition of #IPinsights, where our expert, Justyna Sitnikow:

• discusses the common understanding of public policy and accepted principles of morality,
• provides a non-exhaustive list of groups of signs with illustrative examples, that could fall under assessment of this ground for refusal has been created,
• gives interesting examples of signs that have been identified as being objectionable in terms of public policy or accepted principles of morality.

We invite you to read!

We encourage you to read the other publications in the IP Insights series:

• IP Insights. What will block your trademark registration? Part 1 – Non-distinctive and descriptive trademarks
• IP Insights. Protection of craft and industrial products
• IP Insights. Licenses in gaming
• IP Insights. Synchronization license
• IP Insights. Licence agreements in copyright law – an introduction (part 2)
• IP Insights. Licence agreements in copyright law – an introduction (part 1)