The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has this week launched new image recognition technology to aid in the battle against design and trade mark infringement.
The regulator says the artificial intelligence solution is capable of carrying out image-based searches for designs and trade marks already in existence, as well as a means to monitor your IP right.
The free software works in both eSearch Plus and TMView, allowing the rights holder to upload up to seven images of a design to cross-check against existing databases.
According to the EUIPO, the new algorithms used by the software produce more accurate results. Tests show that the new image search solution retrieves over 48 per cent of relevant trade marks, compared to 42 per cent in 2018, and 39 per cent in 2017.
With more than 89,000 applications for trade mark protection received by the EUIPO in 2015 (the latest available statistics), the new software should significantly speed up trade mark monitoring.
Commenting on the software, the EUIPO said: “The Deep Neural Network on which this new version is built includes a feature in eSearch’s Advanced Search function to identify and automatically suggest potential Vienna codes contained in the images to narrow down the search results.”
It added: “Replacing the beta version, another new notable feature is that the system can automatically make suggestions to narrow down searches by identifying Locarno classes in the image.”
To learn how to use the new tool effectively, click here for five tips and tricks.
For help and advice enforcing your trade mark rights, please get in touch with our expert team.