Uwe Over of Henkel, First Vice-Chair of the MARQUES Council, has described a recent meeting between MARQUES representatives and WIPO officials as “very fruitful and satisfying”, and set out five topics for future work.

The United States of America and Japan have joined the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, bringing membership in the Hague System to 64 contracting parties. Members of the MARQUES Designs Team welcome the news.

A recent conference looked at the lessons learned from a consultation on geographical indications for non-agricultural products. Miguel Angel Medina, outgoing Chair of the GI Team and a member of the MARQUES Council, attended the meeting and provides a report.

The TM5 partners reached agreement on several trade mark and design initiatives at their meeting held in Japan last December.

All EU IP offices have now joined the Harmonised Database of Goods and Services, after France’s INPI signed up on 2nd February.

Gesture trade marks have appealed to everyone from banks to sports stars. Sasha Mandakovic Falconi files the latest Field Notes report from the IP Outer Borders Team

Events are scheduled in Buenos Aires, Zurich, Vienna and The Hague. Which ones will you attend?

Recent posts on the MARQUES blogs include a recent design decision in The Hague, a BOIP ruling on national costume and an (im)possible dispute in Finland.