"PRACTICE CHANGE

Part C: Opposition/Part 1: Procedural Matters, Section V: Admissibility check
1. ABSOLUTE ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS (amendment to 1.2.4. Earlier well known mark, pg 16 and 1.3. Identification of grounds, pg 17).

OTHER CHANGES

Part B: Examination/Section 5: Seniority
(addition of: (N.B. seniority of a Community Trade Mark cannot be claimed), pg 16)

Part C: Opposition/Part 2: Chapter 2: B. Similarity of Goods and Services
2. ASSESMENT OF THE DEGREE OF SIMILARITY OF THE GOODS AND SERVICES IN PRACTICE

Paragraph 2.2. Express and consistent answers required (deletion of “in the example clothing (cl. 25) v perfumery (cl. 3), it should be identified, for example, that these goods may be sold together and may be manufactured under the responsibility of one single undertaking”, pg 8)

Part C: Opposition/Part 6: Proof of Use
III. PROCEDURE Paragraph 1.2. Time of request (addition of : If the request for proof of use is submitted during the cooling-off period or during the two months period given to the opponent for filing or amending facts, evidence and arguments, the request is forwarded to the opponent without delay”, pg 34)

Part C: Opposition/Part 6: Proof of Use
III. SUBSTANTIVE LAW, section 4: Time of useParagraph 4.1.3. International registrations designating a Member State (addition of : (C-246/05 Armin Häupl v Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG) + “Member states that use the 12 months deadline or the 18 months deadline to issue a provisional refusal, pg 16)"