Exercise of economic intellectual property rights to wellknown trademarks.

Abstract

The exercise of intellectual property rights is the realization bythe subject of intellectual property rights of moral and / or economic intellectual propertyrights, the content of which in relation to certain objects of intellectual propertyrights is determined by the Civil Code of Ukraine and other laws. The exercise of intellectualproperty rights is also the realization of economic intellectual propertyrights by other persons on the basis of the permission of the person who has the rightto allow the use of such object of intellectual property rights.The Law «On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine ConcerningStrengthening the Protection and Protection of Rights to Trademarks and IndustrialDesigns and Counteraction to Patent Trolling» (which entered into force on August16, 2020) has аmended the Law of Ukraine «On Protection of Rights to Marks forGoods and Services» (hereinafter — the Law). The amendments have removed theprovision that a well-known trademark receives the same legal protection as thetrademark for which the certificate is issued. Such changes have created a gap in thelegislation in part of defining what does the exercising of intellectual property rightsto well-known trademarks include.In this connection the following questions arise: (1) can the right to use a wellknownmark (as well as the mark for which the certificate is issued) be the subject ofa license agreement, a commercial concession agreement; (2) whether it is possible tocontribute economic intellectual property rights to a well-known trademark to the authorizedcapital of a legal entity; (3) whether it is possible to transfer such rights onthe basis of an agreement on the transfer of economic intellectual property rights or to provide as collateral. We believe that these issues should be addressed through theadoption of appropriate amendments to Art. 25 of the Law.In our opinion, the right to use a well-known trademark may be the subject of licenseagreements and commercial concession agreements. According to the currentlegislation of Ukraine, it is impossible to transfer economic intellectual propertyrights to a well-known mark to another person.It is expedient to make changes to Art. 25 of the Law, which would provide necessityof creation and functioning of the State register of Ukraine of well-knowntrade marks.The introduction of the proposed amendments to the legislation of Ukraine in thefield of economic intellectual property will help to improve the relevant legal relationsrelated to the exercise of property rights to well-known trademarks.Key words: trademark, well-known trademark, economic intellectual propertyrights, exercise of economic intellectual property rights, assignment (transfer) of economicrights of intellectual property