Adoption of EUIPN Common Practices in Moldova: capacity building on trade mark registration and examination practices
Despite being under a common framework and same regulations, EU IP offices and those abroad do not always apply the same practices during the registration life cycle of a trade mark. Achieving approximation of practices between IP offices has become a top priority for IP User Associations, within the EU and beyond European borders. Implementing these Common Practices from the EUIPN increases legal certainty, consistency and predictability in the decision-making process and helps to achieve effective and efficient access to the protection offered by the trade mark registration systems.
The European IP Network brings together the National IP offices and User Associations to cooperate and harmonise practices and standards. Jointly, they identify areas of trade mark and design practice where convergence would be most beneficial for network stakeholders. They work to agree on implementing common principles based on relevant Court decisions and on disseminating the best practices of each of the IP offices. In doing so, they seek to create a European IP system that is more efficient, predictable and accessible to its stakeholders.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has facilitated the implementation of Common Practice 14 (CP14) in the Republic of Moldova in collaboration with the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI). This activity, facilitated with the support of the EU-funded EU4IP project, contributes to Moldova’s continued alignment with the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) practices and improves quality, consistency and transparency of trade mark examination processes.
The initiative builds on AGEPI’s earlier alignment with other Common Practices of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN), including CP5 and CP9 and forms part of a broader convergence process supported by the EUIPO. Moldova’s engagement in this process supports the ongoing efforts under the EU accession process and reflects Moldova’s commitment to align its IP system with that of the European Union. As part of this effort, the EUIPO and AGEPI have adapted the CP14 practice paper, which aims to increase clarity, transparency, legal certainty and predictability for the benefit of the users and examiners.