MARQUES's friends at the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) have just told us how pleased they are to be able to invite MARQUES members to participate their second IP Seminar on Trade Marks  – advanced level (click here for draft programme), which will take place in Alicante from 20 to 22 April 2015.

These IP seminars, which OHIM desctibes as “traditional” training events at OHIM's shiny headquarters overlooking the sparkling sea, are designed to offer a learning platform for the acquisition and exchange of ideas and practices in the IP field. As usual, these seminars are open to experts from EU and non-EU National Offices, as well as from User Associations (of which MARQUES is one). According to we information we've received:

This IP Seminar will be a three-day intensive training course, offering a comprehensive programme on trade marks. It will combine presentations from OHIM experts with interactive working groups. The Seminar will be held in English, with French and Spanish simultaneous interpretation available.

Too good to be true, you might think -- but there's a catch. OHIM explains to us that participation is limited to just one person per User Association, who must hold regular membership credentials for the current year (2015). That person must also be prepared to organise his or her own transport, accommodation and DSA [this blogger isn't very good at initials and has no idea what "DSA" stands for; he'd guess "daily survival allowance" though]. It's a first-come, first-served offer so, if you want to be the lucky person who attends, you'd better be the first to email our very own Alessandra Romeo at aromeo@marques.org to express an interest in participation by not later than Tuesday 17 March EOB [more initials: "end of breakfast"?]. Here's the Participation Form for you to fill in.