Abstract

The Pan European Seal programme is a traineeship programme promoted by two of the world’s largest IP offices, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain and the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich, Germany. Maastricht University is one of their strategic University partners and therefore is able to submit a short list of 10 graduates from several academic backgrounds (IP and non-IP) per year to propose to the EUIPO and/or EPO for selection. This programme gives high-achieving, young university graduates access to a year-long (12 months) paid traineeship at either the EUIPO or the EPO. Interns thereby can get a foot in the door of the competitive world in a variety of fields through valuable, on-the-job, multicultural and professional work experience. Having worked for a few months with the EUIPO litigation department in Luxemburg, Adrien will share my experience with interested students. In addition, having followed the IPKM master programme 2021-22 and participated in the Innovator’s Legal Clinic, he will also provide some insights about these opportunities.

In addition to his professional background, Adrien will also talk about the substantive and procedural challenges in European trade mark litigation. The registration of signs as European Union trade marks is regulated by the European Union Trade Mark Regulation (EUTMR). An applicant seeking the protection of a European Union trade mark needs to make an application to EUIPO, which will examine the sign and determine on whether the sign satisfies the EUTMR requirements. However, it can happen that the decision given does not satisfy the applicant, who is offered a possibility to appeal on the decision. This lecture will explain the different grounds for the refusal of a European Union trade mark grant and the role of the Board of Appeal and European Court of Justice in this matter.

Speaker profile

Adrien Dubois is an IPKM graduate 2021-22 and has participated in the The Innovator’s Legal Clinic of Maastricht. He is currently doing an internship with the Pan European Seal programme at EUIPO in the litigation service in Luxemburg.