Last chance for Early Bird rates! This is your final opportunity to REGISTER at discounted rates for the ECTA 43rd Annual Conference, Bears on the Loose, in Berlin (18-21 June). As you know, ECTA is expanding its scope to include patents, and one of the key highlights of this year’s Conference will be the session on Unified Patent Court (UPC) Case Law moderated by Laurine Janin-Reynaud (ECTA Patent Committee Vice-Chair, TAoMA Partners, France). Learn more about this panel from Laurine: 1. Introduce yourself and your link to ECTA. I am a French intellectual property litigator at TAoMA Partners, a firm that brings together both IP attorneys and attorneys at law. My expertise lies primarily in litigation, encompassing trade marks, copyrights, designs, and patents. I joined ECTA in 2021 and have remained a dedicated member, serving on the Supervisory Board while actively contributing to the association’s Committees. Last year, I had the honor of being appointed Vice-Chair of the newly established Patent Committee, which proudly comprises over 60 members from across Europe and beyond. 2. Introduce the topic of your Conference session. "Listen to the Judges! UPC Case Law" - The session title speaks for itself. As you are aware, June 1, 2023, marked the launch of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), a key milestone in an initiative that began several decades ago. Since then, patent litigators have closely followed the decisions issued by this new Court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over Unitary Patents and European Patents (unless opted out). Within the Patent Committee, UPC case law remains a central topic of discussion and a recurring focus of our meetings. This session aims to provide an overview of the UPC's decisions during its first two years and offer practitioners across all IP fields key insights into the dynamics of litigation before the Court. And who is better to speak on this topic than the Court’s principal actors? We are honored to welcome the UPC Registrar and qualified Judges of the Court, who will share their perspectives on these initial two years of case law. 3. Introduce the panel of your Conference session. Our distinguished panel will feature: - Mr. Alexander Ramsay, UPC Registrar since 2022, responsible for organising all Court proceedings and overseeing the Court’s Registry. - Judge Emmanuel Gougé, appointed to the Court of Appeal of the UPC in 2024, sitting as a legally qualified judge. - Judge Matthias Zigann, qualified Judge at the Unified Patent Court (UPC), assigned to the Local Division in Munich. 4. Why should Conference participants join your session, and at whom in particular will it be directed? Whether you are a patent law expert or simply interested in patent litigation and enforcement, whether you are a patent litigator or prosecutor, a young IP practitioner or a seasoned professional, this session is for you. Historically renowned for its expertise in trade mark law, ECTA has, over the years, expanded its focus to other areas of intellectual property. For the first time, we are bringing patents to the forefront. Our goal? To make this discussion engaging and relevant for all IP professionals. No deep technical dives - just a focus on procedure, strategy, and the key legal insights you need. The only requirement? A curious and forward-thinking legal mind. The UPC is the future of patent litigation in Europe. If you want to be part of shaping it, this is the session you don’t want to miss. 5. Why should IP colleagues register for the ECTA Annual Conference? The ECTA Annual Conference is a must-attend event for IP professionals looking to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. From my personal experience, it is more than just an event - it is a chance to connect with peers from across Europe, engage in thought-provoking discussions led by top experts, and dive into the latest trends in trade marks, designs, patents, and beyond. Should you want to exchange insights, sharpen your expertise, and shape the future of IP law, join us!

Last few days of Early Bird registration until 31 March! REGISTER HERE for the ECTA 43rd Annual Conference, Bears on the Loose, in Berlin (18-21 June). There is no ECTA Conference without its signature overview of recent EU case law – and this year, you won’t want to miss it as the session will be moderated by the fabulous Verena von Bomhard (Bomhard Intellectual Property, Spain). Learn more about this panel from Verena: 1. Verena, introduce yourself and your link to ECTA. I am Verena von Bomhard, co-founder of BomhardIP in Alicante and one of the “EU Trade Mark Dinosaurs”, having lived and worked in Alicante focusing on EUIPO activities and case law development since late 1995. Originally, I am from Munich, Germany. My very first IP conference was the ECTA Conference in Cannes in 1995. At the time the decision that I would move to Alicante to open the local office for my then law firm had been made (I was a real rookie - but I fulfilled two crucial conditions: I was available, and I spoke Spanish!) and I was happy about that – but the ECTA Conference completely convinced me that I had won the jack pot. 2. Introduce the topic of your Conference session. I am in the lucky position to moderate this year’s case law session, titled “My Name is Law..Case Law”. With a panel of three plus myself, we will introduce and discuss recent important decisions and trends ranging from evergreens like weak marks to spotlights on marks tapping into the current political scene. We will exchange opinions and thoughts and hopefully get the audience to participate in this. 3. Introduce the panel of your Conference session. The panellists are fabulous. We have Gabriele Steinfatt, dual qualified lawyer in France and Germany, who has been a judge at the General Court in Luxembourg since 2019, following 15 years as a judge at the Administrative and then Higher Administrative Court in Bremen, Germany. From the EUIPO, Nina Korjus will join us, who has been at the Boards of Appeal since 2021, as chairperson since 2022. Before that, Nina was a judge and department head at the Finnish Market Court for many years, having previously spent eight years at the General Court as a référendaire – already then with a strong focus on EU trade marks. And finally, we have Bartosz Krakowiak, Polish patent and trade mark attorney whose fame precedes him. Bartosz currently serves on the ECTA EUIPO-Link Committee and is ECTA’s representative in the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (Enforcement Working Group). 4. Why should Conference participants join your session, and at whom in particular will it be directed? The case law review session is a must-attend event at any ECTA Annual Conference and everyone who has any professional interest in EU trade mark case law developments will benefit from the insights shared by the highly skilled and experienced panellists. Listening to them will be much more fun than reading decisions! 5. Why should IP colleagues register for the ECTA Annual Conference? The ECTA Annual Conference is one of the cornerstones in the agenda of any IP practitioner that deals with trade mark and related IP issues in the EU or in wider Europe. The size of the conference provides ample networking opportunities while not being overwhelming. ECTA is a big Family, which welcomes everyone – including long lost relatives and first-timers.

Early Bird discounts are ending soon! REGISTER HERE for the ECTA 43rd Annual Conference, Bears on the Loose, in Berlin (18-21 June). Among the various interesting topics discussed at the Annual Conference this year, we will have a highly practical and insightful conversation between Sven Stürmann (President of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal) and Fabio Angelini (ECTA Amicus Curiae Task Force Chair, Bugnion, Italy) on the practice of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal. Learn more about this session from the moderator: 1. Fabio, introduce yourself and your link to ECTA. I am an Italian and US lawyer and I have been a member of ECTA for nearly 30 years. During this rather long period of time, I have always actively participated in ECTA’s activities as a former Supervisory Board member and Chair of the Law and Copyright Committees. I am now Chair of the newly formed Amicus Curiae Task Force, which I hope will be an important tool to have ECTA’s constituency voice being heard in Courts and TM Offices. 2. Introduce the topic for your Conference session. With the preliminary admission mechanism for appeals - introduced on 1 May 2019 by Article 58a of the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) - appeals to the highest EU Court are allowed to proceed only if they raise an issue that is significant with respect to the unity, consistency or development of EU law. Since the establishment of that mechanism the CJEU has allowed only a small number of appeals to proceed, in particular because the conditions to be met are strict. This change has thus vastly amplified the importance of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal because, practically speaking, their decision can now only be reviewed by the General Court, and thus how the Boards work and how they handle cases is more than ever a must to know. The session will explore - in an interview format - the often unknown world of the EUIPO Boards of Appeals. 3. Introduce the panel of your Conference session. The session will feature Mr. Sven Stürmann, recently appointed President of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal. Mr. Stürmann has been with the EUIPO since 2004 in roles ranging from Lawyer Linguist to Chairperson of the 2nd Board of Appeal. His leadership in the establishment of the EUIPO’s Mediation Service, along with his broad experience in dispute resolution, has made him a key figure in IP law in Europe and his hands-on approach to complex legal issues makes him particularly well suited to engage audiences - thus, I am sure the session will be lively and deeply informative. 4. Why should Conference participants join your session, and at whom in particular will it be directed? As indicated above, given the increased importance of EUIPO Boards of Appeal in trade mark and design cases, the session should be followed by any IP practitioner who deals with the EUIPO, as the practical and theoretical insights which will be gained during the session will be a valuable asset for better understanding the functioning and the peculiarities of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal. 5. Why should IP colleagues register for the ECTA Annual Conference? Attending the ECTA Annual Conference gives IP professionals a unique opportunity to learn, discuss and share important developments in the IP field in Europe and worldwide, but quite importantly, it provides a friendly and unhurried environment to expand their networks. In addition, it offers the possibility of becoming a more active member of ECTA by joining its Committees, which in my view is the greatest way to experience ECTA.

ECTA 2nd Vice President Benjamin Fontaine and Head of Legal Affairs Anna Ostanina represented ECTA this week at the European Sister Organisations’ (ESO) meeting in Paris, gathering esteemed representatives from APRAM, BMM, CITMA, ECTA, GRUR, MARQUES, and UNION-IP. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on key challenges, joint initiatives, and recent developments in IP legislation and practice. We sincerely thank all attendees for their valuable insights and exchanges. Special thanks to APRAM and CITMA for their seamless joint organisation of this important event, which aims to forge stronger ties between European based IP associations for a more balanced IP system and for the benefit of its users. Continuing this tradition of sharing and collaboration, ECTA and GRUR will co-organise the next physical annual ESO meeting in 2026.

Last week, ECTA and EUIPO held their annual Bilateral Meeting at the EUIPO Headquarters in Alicante to discuss topics of mutual interest and importance, such as: • Implementation of the EUIPO Strategic Plan and enhancement of engagement with the users; • Latest updates on craft and industrial GIs as well as in the fields of copyright and patents; • SME support and related plans of the Office; • EUIPO’s implementation of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia; • Feedback on the functioning of mandatory eAFAs and the IPEP tool; • Security of the EUIPO systems and a number of procedural issues of everyday relevance to practitioners; • Key recent case law and a number of other practical IP topics. ECTA was represented by Carina Gommers (President); Paola Ruggiero (1st Vice-President); Benjamin Fontaine (2nd Vice President); Anna Ostanina (Head of Legal Affairs); Cristina Bercial (EUIPO-Link Committee Chair); Sarka Petivlasova (EUIPO-Link Committee Vice-Chair); Klaudia Blach-Morysinska (EUIPO-Link Committee Secretary); Aitor Pomares (Geographical Indications Committee Chair); Katri Kiviniemi (Design Committee Chair). We are extremely grateful to the EUIPO for a highly productive meeting and the fruitful cooperation and open dialogue we have built over the years. We look forward to continuing our exchanges and cooperation in improving the IP landscape in Europe.

Early Bird registration for the ECTA 43rd Annual Conference, Bears on the Loose, in Berlin (18–21 June) is open - SIGN UP TODAY! We will kick off our academic program on 18 June with a keynote on Diversity & Inclusion by ECTA member Myrtha Hurtado Rivas (Nestlé/Leaderching, CH). Learn more in her interview! 1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your connection to ECTA? I began my journey with ECTA as a speaker, which allowed me to share my insights and experiences. Subsequently, I joined the WIPO-Link and Law Committee. Being part of ECTA has proven to be an invaluable opportunity for me to stay updated on relevant topics within Europe, particularly in the fields of trade marks, designs, copyright, and enforcement. 2. What is your experience in Diversity & Inclusion, and why is this an important topic for the IP community? As the daughter of immigrants, the themes of diversity and inclusion have been integral to my life since returning to Switzerland in my teenage years. I have faced challenges in being seen and heard due to my background, origin, gender, and unique perspectives. I recognise that I, too, can be prone to biases and unintentional exclusion. Research has demonstrated that diverse perspectives lead to enhanced problem-solving and better outcomes. Companies with diverse leadership teams often outperform their peers financially. Thus, fostering a fair and equitable workplace is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic business necessity. 3. What aspects of D&I will you address in your keynote speech at the Annual Conference? My keynote will focus on the tangible benefits of diversity, the importance of creating inclusive environments, and practical steps we can take to promote diversity within our organizations. 4. Why should Conference participants attend your D&I speech? Who would benefit the most from it? My session will be beneficial for anyone interested in fostering business growth, enhancing team motivation, or contributing to an equitable workplace. I promise that the discussion will be engaging and thought-provoking. 5. In your view, why should IP colleagues attend the ECTA Annual Conference? Attending the ECTA Annual Conference is the best way to remain informed about the most relevant issues in our field. It also provides an excellent opportunity to connect with new law firms and reconnect with established colleagues.

The ECTA Round Table in Alicante returns on 27 February 2025 (16:30-19:40), co-organised with the University of Alicante and Magister Lvcentinvs - IP Master of the University of Alicante. The event will be hosted at the University of Alicante (Salón de Conferencias, Edificio San Fernando, Calle San Fernando 40, entrance via Carrer Velarde). The event is sponsored by PAPERZ IP. **MAXIMUM CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED FOR BOTH THE MAIN AND OVERFLOW ROOM AND REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED..** This year’s topic is "New Times for the Protection of Designs in the EU: What Will Change with the Reform?", featuring two insightful panels: Panel 1: EU Design Reform and its Implications Panel 2: Latest Design Case Law The program includes a coffee break between the panels and concludes with a cocktail reception at the same venue until 21:00. Please consult the detailed program with speakers here. The event is free of charge. As space is limited, please reserve your spot only if you plan to attend. Please note that once all seats in the main room will be occupied, participants may be placed in the overflow room.

In the coming days, the EUIPO will release the following improvements to the User Area: 🔹 15 February - New Login Screen The EUIPO User Area login screen will have a slightly updated design. This visual change is part of an effort to enhance account and data security. The login process and your credentials will remain unchanged. 🔹 3 March - More Enhancements The EUIPO will implement a clearer and more detailed view of your portfolio’s progress and status, such as improved EUTM timeline, streamlined EUIPO account creation process, enhanced settings management, including updated privacy preferences and subprofile options. For support, contact customercare@euipo.europa.eu or call +34 96513 9100.

The European Commission has published its 2025 Work Programme, outlining key strategies, action plans, new legislative initiatives as well as intended withdrawals for the coming year. The programme can be found here, alongside its annexes and brief summary, and is based on the Political Guidelines and mission letters sent by the President to each College Member. ECTA and its Committee are reviewing the IP-related elements of the programme to prepare for discussions at the upcoming official meetings between ECTA and various European Commission DGs in March 2025.

The application period for the SME Fund 2025 has opened today and will run until 5 December 2025. This Fund is a grant scheme designed to provide financial support to EU SMEs for protecting their Intellectual Property Rights. The initiative is led by the European Commission and implemented by the EUIPO. The SME Fund 2025 covers a range of IPRs, including trade marks, designs, patents, plant varieties, and the IP Scan service. All SMEs established in the EU are eligible to apply for a grant. Owners, authorised employees or external representatives can apply. For detailed information on requirements and how to apply, please consult here. You can also find helpful FAQs here. The EUIPO is organising a webinar 'New edition 2025 SME Fund. Boost your business with EU Funding!' (18 February 2025, 10:00 CET), providing detailed insights and guidance on maximising the benefits of the SME Fund 2025. You can register here for the webinar. ---- In line with the European Commission and EUIPO's focus on SMEs, ECTA established the ECTA SME Task Force years ago. This task force helps ECTA actively participate in EU discussions and activities related to SMEs. ECTA's goal is to promote greater and more effective use of IP by SMEs, while highlighting the important role of IP practitioners in this process.

This is not the time to hibernate - BE AN EARLY BEAR ! Register now at our early bird rates for the ECTA 43rd Annual Conference in Berlin on 18-21 June 2025! Check out the Conference teaser here! This year’s Conference 'Bears on the Loose' celebrates Berlin’s heraldic bear and the city's vibrant atmosphere. With its melting pot of cultures, rich history, and dynamic scenes in creativity, technology, and innovation, Berlin is the ideal backdrop for exploring the world of intellectual property - it will keep our ‘IP Bears’ on the loose and engaged throughout the event! Check out the programme here, attendance options and prices here. Early Bird ends on 31 March! Not yet a member? Join ECTA before registering to attend the Conference at member rates. We have secured a number of rooms at the Hotel Intercontinental Berlin (Conference venue) and nearby hotels. For details on hotel options and reservation at ECTA rates and conditions, please refer to the confirmation email received upon registration. Hurry - ECTA rooms are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis! We can’t wait to see you in Berlin!

By Aitor Pomares, ECTA Geographical Indications Committee Chair, Berenguer & Pomares abogados, Spain The European Commission has passed the new technical rules applicable to the Geographical Indications in the AGRI sector (wine, spirits and agricultural products). The Official Journal of 15 January 2025 has published: • The «Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/26 of 30 October 2024 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards registrations, amendments, cancellations, enforcement of the protection, labelling and communication in respect of geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed, and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34 as regards geographical indications in the wine sector» • The «Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms» Both Regulations are now in force and replace former Implementing Regulation 668/2014 and Delegated Regulation 664/2014. These European Commission’s acts supplement the main Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 and particularly establish the technical rules applicable to the proceedings for registration, cancellation and amendments of Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed. They aim at ensuring the smooth functioning of the market of Geographical Indications and to simplify and rationalise the functioning of the system. The role of the Member States and the European Commission in the proceedings for registration, cancellation and amendments is better defined, seeking also for a consistent approach across Member States. These acts also establish the rules on the content and the form of the electronic Union register of Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed. ECTA and its Geographical Indications Committee have actively participated in the public consultation providing input to the implementing regulations. ----- The views expressed are those of our members and not necessarily of ECTA as an association. The content has not been subjected to a verification process, the accuracy of the information contained in the article is responsibility of the author.

The ECTA General Committee Elections are now open! If you are a member, please refer to the official communication you have received or login to your ECTA account to find the link to apply. If you are not yet a member, please apply for membership first. Being a Committee member is the best opportunity to get the most out of our association: you will enhance your network, expand your knowledge, contribute directly to impactful IP projects, and may represent ECTA at initiatives with key stakeholders like EUIPO, WIPO, and the European Commission. How to Apply: If you are interested, please ensure your 2025 ECTA membership is renewed before applying and review the following documents: • ECTA Committee Member Expectation Sheet • ECTA Bulletin article on General Committee Elections 2025 • Overview of our Committees The Committee term is two years (2025-2027), with a maximum of six consecutive years allowed on the same Committee (three terms of two years each). Kindly check your eligibility by reviewing your term in the ‘My Profile’ section on the ECTA website. If ineligible, you may apply to a different Committee or re-apply to your current one after a two-year break. Committee membership is not automatically renewed - current Committee members who have not reached this limit must re-apply if they wish to continue on the same Committee. Important: You may join only ONE Committee as involvement in ECTA Committee activities requires a significant time investment! In your application, please indicate your first and second Committee choices (if your first choice is unavailable, you will be considered for your second choice), outline your expertise and any previous involvement with ECTA and what you plan to achieve during the Committee term. Please bear in mind that acceptance into Committees is not guaranteed. During the assessment process your past involvement in ECTA activities, if any, and expressed motivation for a specific Committee will be taken into account. The deadline for applications is 14 February 2025 (no late applications will be accepted). You will be notified of the outcome in May 2025. The newly composed Committees will start operating on 1 July 2025, with the first meeting at the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Lyon (France) in October 2025. *Patent Committee: This Committee has just been established and is already at full capacity, so new applications will only be accepted in the next election round (2027). Current members will continue automatically and do not need to re-apply. *Mediation Committee: This Committee has just been established, current members will serve until 2027 and do not need to re-apply. However, we may accept a few new applications in this election round. *SME Task Force: The SME Task Force will become a Link Committee as of July 2025, thus (re-)application for the task force is not possible. SME-Link members will be nominated by the legal Committees after the elections. We look forward to receiving your application!

Effective from 25 June 2024, Article 5s of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, introduced by Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745, prohibits EU IP offices from accepting new applications for certain IP rights from Russian nationals and companies. It also prohibits the submission of requests and participation in proceedings by these entities before the EU IP offices. Today, the EUIPO issued Communication No 1/2025, explaining how these new rules are implemented in its procedures (e.g. the scope of application of Article 5s and identifying the natural and legal persons concerned). The approach follows the FAQs published by the European Commission in November 2024.

We inform our members that the EUIPO has recently detected a series of irregular attempts to replace legitimate IP representatives with fictitious ones. The Office has implemented the following measures: • Disabling malicious IP addresses linked to the incident and enhancing domain-level blocking and filtering; • Strengthening verification protocols before processing such requests; • Reversing fraudulent changes and allowing representatives to request reinstatement proactively. Representatives are advised by the EUIPO to regularly monitor their User Areas to verify the communications received and are encouraged to review their account security settings and stay vigilant. Affected users can contact customercare@euipo.europa.eu for support. To read the official EUIPO press release, please click here.

We are pleased to share with ECTA members the conclusions from the 2024 annual meeting of the Circle of European Trade Mark Judges (CET-J), held in Riga. The CET-J is an independent group of 25 judges from 19 European countries that gathers annually in a European capital. These meetings serve as a platform to exchange insights and information on significant national case law, ECJ rulings, and emerging legal issues. The aim is to promote dialogue within the judiciary on key legal challenges and contribute to the development of harmonised case law across Europe. The meeting concludes with a summary of the most important points of discussions, referred to as the ‘Conclusions’.

A new joint study by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), published yesterday, analyses the economic outcomes of companies that hold IPRs compared to those that do not. The study, based on data from 119.000 firms across the EU (2013-2022), covers patents, trade marks, and designs registered with the EPO, EUIPO, as well as national and regional IP offices within the EU. The study highlights the significant economic value of IPRs, particularly for SMEs. Key findings include: 1) Firms with IPRs generate 23,8% more revenue per employee, rising to 41% when adjusted for industry, size and location with an even greater impact observed among SMEs. 2) Businesses that own IPRs pay employees 22% higher wages. 3) Around half of large companies hold IPRs, but only 10% of SMEs do. The full report and executive summary can be consulted here.

We have an exciting year ahead with numerous events and initiatives planned for a great ECTA 2025. Be sure to mark your calendars: 🔹 ECTA Round Table (in collaboration with the University of Alicante and Magister Lvcentinvs) “New Times for the Protection of Designs in the EU: What Will Change with the Reform?” 27 February 2025, Alicante, Spain Register here 🔹 ECTA & APRAM (Association des praticiens du droit des marques et modèles) Joint Event 3 April 2025, Paris, France 🔹 43rd ECTA Annual Conference “Bears on the Loose” 18-21 June 2025, Berlin, Germany Early Bird registration opens soon in January - stay tuned! 🔹 ECTA Autumn Meeting (for Supervisory Board and Committee members) 30 October - 1 November 2025, Lyon, France Other key updates: 🔸 General Committee Elections open on 20 January 2025 - a great opportunity to apply for an ECTA Committee and maximise your involvement within ECTA. If you are not yet an ECTA member, make sure to apply for membership. If you are a member, don't forget to renew your membership for 2025 on time! 🔸 The ECTA Award competition is open for IP professionals and students. Submit your paper by 15 February 2025. More information on prizes and submission requirements here. 🔸 The ECTA Bulletin will continue providing us with IP updates, case law and insights in March, June, and October 2025. More events, webinars and initiatives will be announced during the year, don’t miss our updates!

We are pleased to inform our members that ECTA has filed its second Amicus Curiae Brief, pending before the Grand Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (GBoA EUIPO). The case regards whether a photographic image of a person’s face can serve as a distinctive and non-descriptive trade mark under EU law, in light of the perceived contrast between the Office’s approach and that of the Board of Appeals’, since the Office appears to systematically refuse registration of trade marks containing the face of a person, while in recent years, the Board of Appeal has ruled, by various decisions, that EU trade mark applications containing or consisting in a person’s face are not inherently devoid of distinctive character. We wish to extend our gratitude to the ECTA Amicus Curiae Task Force and to the volunteers of the Law Committee who co-wrote the brief, for their dedicated efforts in compiling the recommendations for the Grand Board.