关于德国商标的使用及管理

关于德国商标的使用及管理

　　(一)设置异议期，加强来自第三方的监督。

　　为便于监督新商标的合法性，德国规定注册后的三个月为异议期。这一段时间内，商标具有临时性特点，可随时由于下述原因被注销：1、为描述性名词，代表商品服务的形式、特点、数量、价值、地理来源等，如将“面包”注册为焙制产品的商标;2、为达到垄断市场目的而故意进行的恶意注册;3、危害已有的商标专有权。

　　德专利商标局在听取异议申请人和商标所有者意见后，由一名中级官员(或同级技术人员)作出裁定。和申请注册商标审查程序相似，异议双方可就裁定结果申请复审和专利法院裁定。

　　(二)规定强制使用义务及保护期，保持适度竞争。

　　为保持合理适度的竞争，防止危害其他企业发展，德商标法要求注册商标应适合自身需要，不能将注册类别扩大到不使用的商品服务，也不能因为三类以内注册费用相同，而将注册类别盲目扩大到三个。同时，为鼓励企业注册新商标，积极开拓新业务领域，注册后的前5年为使用保护期，可筹备、规划如何使用该商标，而不发生实际使用行为。第三方(竞争对手)可在使用保护期结束前，向德专利商标局提出5年未使用该商标的“未使用撤销申请”。如商标所有者接到德专利商标局通知2月内不作答辩，该商标被撤销，如商标所有者按期答辩，争议双方须到专利法院进行诉讼。

　　(三)有效期10年，可无限期续展。

　　自申请之日起，商标有效期至满10年后当月结束失效。可在10年保护期的最后1年递交续展申请，每次续展10年，次数不限。申请续展费用应在保护期结束后2个月内缴清。注册用户可从德专利商标局网站上免费跟踪商标的有效期。

On the Use and Management of German Trademarks

( 1 ) Set the objection period, strengthen the supervision from the third party.

In order to supervise the legality of the new trademark, Germany stipulates three months after registration as the objection period. In this period of time, the trademark has temporary characteristics, can be written off at any time due to the following reasons : 1, for descriptive terms, on behalf of the form of goods and services, characteristics, quantity, value, geographical origin, etc., such as the ' bread ' registered as a baked goods trademark ; ( 2 ) intentional malicious registration for the purpose of monopolizing the market ; 3. Harm existing trademark rights.

After hearing the opinions of the dissenting applicant and the trademark owner, the German Patent and Trademark Office shall make a decision by a middle-level official ( or peer technical personnel ). Similar to the application for registration trademark review procedure, the dissenting parties may apply for review and patent court ruling on the ruling results.

( 2 ) Provision of compulsory use obligations and protection period, maintain moderate competition.

In order to maintain a reasonable and moderate competition and prevent harm to the development of other enterprises, the German Trademark Law requires that registered trademarks should be suitable for their own needs, not to expand the registration category to unused commodity services, nor to blindly expand the registration category to three because of the same registration costs within the three categories. At the same time, in order to encourage enterprises to register new trademarks and actively develop new business areas, the first five years after registration are the use protection period, which can prepare and plan how to use the trademark without actual use. A third party ( competitor ) may, before the end of the period of use protection, submit to the German Patent and Trademark Office an ' unused revocation application ' for five years without using the trademark. If the owner of the trademark receives notification from the German Patent and Trademark Office that he does not respond within 2 months, the trademark is revoked. If the owner of the trademark responds on time, the parties to the dispute must go to the patent court for litigation.

 

( 3 ) The validity period is 10 years, which can be extended indefinitely.

Since the date of application, the trademark expires until the end of the month after 10 years. Applications for renewal may be submitted in the last year of the 10-year protection period, with no limit of 10 years per renewal. The application fee should be paid within 2 months after the end of the protection period. Registered users can track the valid period of trademarks free of charge from the website of the German Patent and Trademark Office.