Some peculiarities of legal protection of trademarks in EU countries in the context of European integration processes in Ukraine

Abstract

Keywords: trademark, EU countries, territorial marks, national brands, trademark protection
 The article notes that Ukraine's further preparation for EU membership involves the completion of a comprehensive transformation of all spheres. One of the vectors of such a transformation concerns trademarks as a necessary element of the free exchange of goods and services. Legal protection of trademarks in EU countries covers three levels: international,regional and national. It is noted that the formation of European standards for the protection and protection of trademarks in the EU was determined by the processes of globalization and integration. The legal model for the regulation of TM relations at the regional level contributed to the convergence of the national legislation of the EU countries.Instead, there are numerous provisions of a dispositive nature, according to which EU countries individually decide on the issue of their reflection in national legislation, which does not create contradictions, but gives peculiarities to the legal regime of TMprotection in each specific country. The article reveals some of these features. Attention is drawn to the possibility of registration of warranty and certification marks as TM, which was implemented by Germany, Italy, and France. The identical approach of the EU countries to the registration of «Sound” trademarks — in the form of an audio file — has been revealed. Based on judicial practice, the weaknesses of the registration of a smell as a trademark in the form of a graphic description are considered. Designations that cannot be registered as trademarks and features of registration as such of portraits of people and personal names are defined. The requirements for applicants when registering trademarks and the legal consequences of not using trademarks are determined, as well as the role of using a trademark in overcoming the refusal of registration. The article reveals the meaning and purpose of the «opposition period» and the specifics of its application in individual countries, using the example of Poland, Italy, France, and Germany. Special attention is paid to the protection of territorial brands, national brands and their correlation with well-known brands.