Following an agreement signed by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) last week, the IPO has joined WIPO’s Global Brand Database.
A freely accessible online service, the database provides access to more than 50 million records, from some 71 national and international groups.
The simple, effective tool can be utilised by firms all over the world when registering a trade mark, to ensure that the mark, or one similar, does not already exist.
What does the Global Brands Database do?
If you want to register a trade mark, you can search the database before you apply, or browse existing marks in prospective markets in which you are interested.
To start with, the UK will add approximately 3 million records, initially focusing on existing registered trade marks.
As a result, UK registered trade marks will appear in searches of the database conducted by businesses anywhere in the world.
This means that they are less prone to being inadvertently infringed.
The IPO’s Chief Executive, Tim Moss, commented on the news:
“The addition of more than 3 million UK registered trade marks to WIPO’s database will help businesses grow their brands with confidence. By providing additional protection, it will reassure UK trade mark holders that their mark is less likely to be infringed.
“Our partnership with WIPO in areas of common interest ensures that the IP framework remains fit for the future. The UK has one of the most highly regarded IP environments in the world, and joining the database is a practical step that will help keep it that way.”
WIPO Director, General Daren Tang, added:
“We are delighted with the inclusion of the UK trademarks collection in WIPO’s Global Brand Database. This is a significant step for users the world over and greatly enhances the value of the database, especially for companies seeking to file a new trademark application in multiple countries.
“The new agreement also paves the way for greater technical collaboration between our offices, including the use of machine learning to improve the efficiency of IP-related procedures.”
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