Dear ECTA members, Happy 2024! First and foremost, I sincerely hope this year will bring collective peace amidst global challenges and conflicts that weigh heavily on all of us, and that a renewed sense of global community is established. May it also bring you joy, good health and prosperity, along with ample moments of cherished ECTA Family time. Reflecting on the successes of 2023, ECTA proudly stands at the forefront of the IP landscape with significant achievements. Committee membership has doubled, recognising the value of our work and the willingness of our members to play a more active role in shaping the world of IP. We have broadened the scope of the ECTA activities to patents, establishing the new ECTA Patent Committee, and embraced AI further under the umbrella of the ECTA AI & Data Committee. From the vibrant Annual Conference in Prague to the dynamic Autumn Meeting in Turin, our well-attended events created long-lasting impressions. In 2023, we actively influenced pivotal legislative IP developments, leaving our mark, among others, on the EU Design and GIs reforms. Productive face-to-face engagements with the European Commission, Council Presidencies, EUIPO, and WIPO not only reinforced our relationship with crucial stakeholders but also resulted in invaluable exchanges. Additionally, we have continued cooperating closely with our European IP sister associations and initiated a meaningful collaboration with ASIPI, broadening the ECTA regional and global presence. Anticipating an exciting 2024, we are gearing up for more noteworthy developments! Keep an eye out for the opening of the early bird registration for our 42nd ECTA Annual Conference “Many Facets of IP” in Antwerp (19-22 June 2024). Also, to help you plan ahead, mark your calendars for other upcoming ECTA events: ECTA Webinar on trade secrets in the EU 8 February 2024, Online in collaboration with the Bulgarian Patent Office ECTA Alicante Round Table on Evidence before the EUIPO 29 February 2024, Alicante, Spain in collaboration with the University of Alicante ECTA ®ETREAT 18 April 2024, The Hague, Netherlands (to be confirmed) ECTA Autumn Meeting (for Supervisory Board and Committee members only) 10-12 October 2024, Seville, Spain I also anticipate knowledge-packed editions of the ECTA Bulletin and would like to remind you that the ECTA Award competition is open until 28 February 2024. Last but not least, do not forget to renew your membership for 2024 if not already done. More surprises are on the horizon - young professionals and mediation enthusiasts, get ready for some exciting updates! Here's to a fantastic 2024! Kind regards, Mladen Vukmir ECTA President

2024 promises to be an exciting year at ECTA! To assist you in planning ahead, please make note of the following dates: - ECTA Webinar with Bulgarian Patent Office (Online) - 8 February - ECTA Alicante Round Table with University of Alicante (Alicante, ES) - 29 February - ECTA ®etreat (The Hague, NL) - 18 April (To be confirmed) - ECTA Annual Conference (Antwerp, BE) - 19-22 June - ECTA Autumn Meeting (Seville, ES) - 10-12 October Please note that additional events may be scheduled at a later stage.

The ECTA Award Competition is Open! As of today, all IP professionals and students are invited to submit an article or essay of importance for the development of the EU Intellectual Property Law. Your paper could earn you more than just recognition - it could lead to a monetary prize, an 18-month free ECTA membership, and publication of your work on our website. But that's not all! The winners will be honoured by ECTA President at the ECTA Annual Conference in Antwerp on 21 June 2024. Consult the ECTA Award submission requirements and judging criteria and send your paper to ecta@ecta.org by 28 February 2024. Kindly indicate whether you are participating in the Professional or Student category. All submissions will be judged by the ECTA Professional Affairs and Membership Committee with the support of other Committees and under the supervision of the Board of Directors. We look forward to receiving your papers!

As a result of the discussion held by the ECTA governing bodies at the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Turin, we are excited to announce a significant development in our association's scope of activities. ECTA decided to broaden its horizons into the exciting world of patents and establish the ECTA Patent Committee, chaired by F. Peter Müller (Müller Schupfner & Partner, Germany). This ground breaking decision, from an association traditionally renowned for its expertise in other IPRs, follows recent developments such as the release of the Patent Package by the European Commission and the implementation of the Unitary Patent system. Through this Committee, ECTA aims to become an expert interlocutor for the relevant institutions, with a focus on patent enforcement. For a detailed description and mission of the Patent Committee, please read here. ECTA members are invited to apply to this Committee if they have expertise in two or more of the following fields: ✔ patent litigation experience ✔ knowledge of the UPC system and/or are entitled to be representatives before the UPC ✔ knowledge of international patent enforcement (e.g. Brussels I Regulation, Lugano Convention, etc.) ✔ knowledge of and experience with SEPs ✔ knowledge of and experience with FRAND ✔ knowledge of and experience with compulsory licenses The Patent Committee is set up as a temporary Committee for the next four years, comprising two terms of two years each, after which the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board will reassess the role of the Committee. If you have the required expertise and are interested in joining the ECTA Patent Committee, please apply here by 15 December! *Kindly be reminded that, according to our internal rules, ECTA members can participate in one Committee at a time. If you are currently a member of another ECTA Committee but wish to join the ECTA Patent Committee, please be aware that the acceptance of your application to the new Patent Committee will automatically cancel your participation in your current Committee.

Don't miss two upcoming webinars in the Data domain, co-organised by ECTA and ASIPI: 1) International Transfer of Data Date: 9 November 2023 Time: 4:00 pm CET Moderator: Jordi Güell (ECTA) 2) Processing of Personal Data by IP Offices: Compared Practices in EUIPO, Spain, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil Register here! Date: 16 November 2023 Time: 4:00 pm CET Moderator: Sebastian Lovera (ASIPI) Both webinars will be conducted in both Spanish and English with simultaneous translation. We are pleased to inform our members that our former Data Committee has expanded its scope to also include AI, and is now known as AI and Data Committee. We would like to express our gratitude to the Committee for their contributions to the organisation of this webinar series in the data domain.

Following the recent creation of the EUIPO Mediation Center and the fact that mediation is increasingly used in IP, ECTA wishes to investigate if, among our members, there are mediators or lawyers trained as mediators and if they are interested in being involved in an ECTA initiative on IP mediation. Please kindly fill in this short survey, which will not take more than 3 minutes of your time.

Please be informed that since the number of Committee members has significantly increased after the General Committee Elections of this year, we have reached our maximum capacity (300 attendees) for the event. As a result, late registrants will be placed on a waiting list upon registration. In case of cancellations, we will notify those on the waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is reserved for Supervisory Board and Committee members and kicks off on Thursday, 12 October, with the Supervisory Board and Committee Chairs meeting, followed by a buffet dinner at the Galleria Subalpina. Friday, 13 October, will continue with Committee meetings, the workshop 'Accelerating the Future: IP in the Automotive Sector' and a closing dinner at MAUTO, the National Automobile Museum. On Saturday, 14 October, you can opt for a half-day city tour with chocolate tasting and lunch or a full-day tour to the Reggia di Venaria and its gardens. The registration fee is 390,00 € for Supervisory Board and Committee members and 250,00 € for accompanying guests (including dinners only). Once registered, refer to the confirmation email for the booking links to reserve your room directly with the StarHotels Majestic (Conference venue) or the Concord Hotel. Hotel reservation is responsibility of the participant. To learn more about the event, visit ECTA Committee Meetings 2023 on the left-hand side in the private site. If you have issues accessing the platform, contact us at ecta@ecta.org for assistance

WIPO is working to establish a competency framework in the area of trade mark and industrial design search, to assess training needs and develop relevant content for training activities to be carried out worldwide. All IP professionals, particularly ECTA members, are kindly invited to cooperate on this project by completing this short survey no later than 8 September. The survey is in English and can be filled in anonymously. This questionnaire aims to identify the competencies necessary to carry out the role of trade mark and industrial design search from the perspective of current professionals in the field.

**Supervisory Board and Committee members who are registered for the ECTA Autumn Meeting do NOT need to register separately for the workshop!** Join us in Turin for the ECTA workshop ‘Accelerating the Future: IP in the Automotive Sector’ on 13 October 2023, 16.00-18.00 CET! The automotive industry is rapidly evolving and IPRs - copyright, trade marks, patents, design rights - are valuable assets and key to staying competitive. After a welcome by ECTA President Mladen Vukmir, Adam György (SBGK, HU) will moderate a panel of experts comprised of Torsten Dilly (BMW Group, DE), Prof. Tilman Müller-Stoy (Bardehle Pagenberg, DE) and Sarka Petivlasova (Hogan Lovells, ES). A lot of interesting discussions can be expected - testimony to that are the numerous cases, including before the CJEU, that deal with IPRs in this sector, ranging from the scope of protection to enforcement to jurisdiction issues. This workshop forms part of the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Turin, a two-day event reserved for Supervisory Board and Committee members. However, we're delighted to extend a warm invitation to ECTA members and non-members who are not attending the Autumn Meeting but wish to register for the workshop only. REGISTER HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP! The workshop will be on-site only with no broadcast provided. The participation fee details are as follows: • 30,00 € (excl. VAT) for members who are not registered for the ECTA Autumn Meeting; • 50,00 € (excl. VAT) for non-members. A certificate of attendance will be sent upon request after the event. Accreditation has been requested in Italy from both Ordine dei Consulenti and CNF.

The EUIPO is working to modernise its services and improve user experience. In particular: • A new pre-assessment service will first be made available to a pilot group for feedback. The aim is to facilitate the filing procedure for users and help reduce objections and deficiencies. During the filing procedure, users will be able to use some of the checks performed by EUIPO examiners; • A standalone tool is being developed to let users perform checks prior to filing an EUTM application; • An optimised customer care service will soon be introduced. From June onwards, users can contact for general queries CustomerCare@euipo.europa.eu or call +34 965139100. The following contacts will no longer be used: - Information Centre (information@euipo.europa.eu) - Key User Management (keyusermanagement@euipo.europa.eu, +34 965139110) - E-business support line (e-businesshelp@euipo.europa.eu, +34 965139400) • the Key User Newsflash will be rebranded as IP Expert Newsflash.

ECTA is conducting research on how members perceive the ECTA Bulletin. We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes of your time to fill in a short survey, which will help us improve the future editions of the Bulletin. For easy reference, please find here the latest edition of the ECTA Bulletin. Thank you in advance for your support, we value your opinion very much!

On the occasion of this year’s World IP Day theme ‘Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity’, ECTA Head of Legal Affairs Anna Ostanina interviewed several incredible women coming from different countries and cultural backgrounds, working in diverse IP related roles, but who are united by the same passion for IP. They share how they chose and navigated this dynamic environment and give valuable advice for those women who are starting or already are on the path of a career in IP. Enjoy reading HERE about the inspiring experiences of: 🌺Debbie Roenning, Director of the WIPO Madrid Legal Division (CH) 🌺Judge Vesna Tomljenović, General Court of the EU (LU) 🌺 Prof. Marie-Christine Janssens, Head of Unit, KU Leuven Centre for IT & IP Law (BE) 🌺Claudia Martinez Felix, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission, DG GROW (BE) 🌺Virginia Melgar, Chairperson of the 5th Board of Appeal, EUIPO (ES) 🌺Deborah A. Hampton, Trade Mark Team Leader, Senior Trade Mark & Copyright Program Manager, The Chemours Company FC, LLC (USA) 🌺Anette Rasmussen, Partner, Attorney-at-law, AWA Denmark A/S, Past ECTA President (DK) Today, we wish to celebrate at large all women involved in IP, and particularly those among ECTA members, whose active participation enriches our diverse and equal community. We thank you and feel proud to have you in our ECTA family! We are also happy to share that the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force has been established within the ECTA Professional Affairs Committee, with the aim to further promote diversity and inclusion in our association by monitoring and analysing ECTA’s efforts in this regard, providing input on possible initiatives and events to enhance awareness and inclusivity, as well as advising on any D&I issues within ECTA raised by any member. Happy World IP Day! 🌺

Touch me if you can! REGISTER for the ECTA ®ETREAT on non-traditional trade marks, to be held online on 20 April 2023 (16.00-18.00 CET). ECTA members can participate at a reduced fee (50,00 €). After a welcome by Carina Gommers (ECTA First Vice-President, Wiggin, BE), Carolin Wittkamp-Kind (ECTA Secretary General, Greyhills Rechtsanwälte, DE) will moderate a panel of distinguished experts comprised of Tanguy de Haan (NautaDutilh, BE), Barbara Niemann-Fadani (Boult Wade Tennant, UK), Nicole Ockl (HLK IP, DE), and Heike Bhonsle (Crocs, NL). Following an overview of the various non-traditional trade marks, the discussion will focus on the most relevant one in practice, namely the shape mark. We will dig deep into the most recent EU case law as well as provide practical advice on filing and prosecution strategies and what can be done once the mark has been registered. The topic will also be examined from the UK jurisdiction perspective, particularly as concerns infringement litigation, and from the industry perspective. Speakers will be glad to answer questions from the audience.

There is still time to register for the ECTA 41st Annual Conference ‘Exploring IP Magic’ in Prague! REGISTER SOON! Check out the programme here, and attendance options and prices here. ECTA members can attend at a reduced fee, make sure you have renewed your membership before registering! Early bird rates are available until 7 April (included). The Conference venue is the Prague Congress Centre, quickly accessible from the city centre. ECTA has secured a limited number of rooms at various hotels (in the vicinity of the Conference venue and in the City centre) and they will be sold on a first come first served basis. For details on hotel options, please refer to the confirmation email received after registration. From 28 June to 1 July we will explore the magic of IP through numerous engaging sessions on the latest IP trends and case law, ECTA Committees will meet again to work on impactful projects, and you can bet on great networking opportunities and fun in the most attractive locations. All IP colleagues, whether senior or younger professionals, will benefit from attending the Conference and from this unique and friendly Community. If you are new to ECTA and the Conference we look forward to meeting you at a dedicated reception! Watch the teaser! Watch the video message by ECTA President Mladen Vukmir, inviting all IP colleagues to join us in Prague. Watch the Video Message by ECTA First Vice-President Carina Gommers to discover the academic program. Get ready for another rewarding ECTA Conference!

We are pleased to offer ECTA members discounted access to the ASIPI course on Geographical Indications and Appellations of Origin. This opportunity reflects the growing collaboration between the two associations, and ECTA is delighted to be a support association for this course. The course will be conducted online from 7 March to 2 May 2024 and will encompass 8 modules (16 teaching hours). Participants will gain an understanding of legal complexities but also learn about effective strategies in varied contexts. The course will be conducted in Spanish, with simultaneous translation in English and Portuguese, and will be recorded for future reference. ECTA Geographical Indications Committee members, Aitor Pomares (Spain) and Andrea Zappalaglio (UK), will be among the speakers. ECTA members, who are not also ASIPI members, can register as 'Member of Support Association' to benefit from a 50% discount on the registration fee ($200 instead of $400). We encourage all interested members to take advantage of this opportunity.

ECTA actively seeks your opinion on the dependency issue for international trade marks in the Madrid System. As you may be aware, there is a recent proposal to modernise the Madrid Protocol regarding the dependency issue for international trade marks put forward by a number of delegations, including Australia, Chile, Ghana, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and the US (hereinafter the Proposal). The Proposal discusses three options to go about the dependency: 1) Retain the basic mark requirement, but reduce the dependency period from 5 to 3 years Everything would remain the same as under the existing system except for the dependency period, which would be shortened from 5 to 3 years. 2) Retain the basic mark requirement, but eliminate the dependency principle The basic mark requirement would remain but, if the basic mark ceases to have effect, it would not result in cancellation of the international registration and all designations. 3) Eliminate both the basic mark requirement and dependency principle A trade mark holder would simply file an international application and designate the territories for protection. Each designated Contracting Party would examine the request for extension of protection according to its national laws and decide whether to grant or refuse protection. For the above option 3 (i.e. if the basic mark and dependency requirements were to be abolished) a suggestion is made in the Proposal to retain a different form of a central attack mechanism. According to such suggestion third parties may, instead of objecting to or cancelling the registration of basic mark before the competent national Offices/Courts, centrally attack the international registrations before a central, independent dispute settlement body, which could be established at the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. If such a central attack was successful, the international registrations and all designations would be cancelled. Further, the Proposal is also suggesting that Member States may choose which of the three above options of the dependency, if any, they want to retain, namely: “If the Protocol is amended, each Contracting Party may either continue the current practice, or make a voluntary declaration to elect a new option. This would be similar to existing declarations in the Protocol to select an 18-month time limit to respond to provisional refusals and to elect individual fees. This proposal does not require Contracting Parties to immediately decide whether to choose one of the new options or which option to choose. Rather, they need only agree that the Protocol be amended to offer these flexibilities, and recommend formal adoption of the amendments by the Madrid Union Assembly.” If this was adopted there could be at the end 3-4 types of countries following different dependency rules. In 2018, ECTA had already prepared a paper on dependency, which you can consult here for your further information. WIPO now has requested User Associations to submit observations and suggestions regarding the dependency issue for consideration at the 22nd session of the Madrid Working Group. Given the information provided, ECTA kindly requests its members, who have not yet done it, to express their opinion by voting Yes or No to the options presented in this SHORT SURVEY no later than 22 April 2024. Thank you for your contribution.

The ECTA General Committee Elections are open! Being part of an ECTA Committee is an invaluable opportunity to network and cooperate with many IP professionals from the EU and beyond, follow policy developments on your topic of interest, work on impactful projects, represent ECTA in working groups with EUIPO, WIPO and the European Commission and much more. If you are interested, please carefully read the following documents and make sure you have renewed your membership for 2023 before submitting your application: • ECTA Committee Member Expectation Sheet • ECTA Bulletin article on General Committee Elections 2023 • Overview of our Committees COMMITTEE TERM: The Committee term constitutes two years (2023-2025), and Committee members may serve on the same Committee for a maximum consecutive term of six years* (three terms of two years each). Please note that Committee membership is not renewed automatically. Current Committee members will have to re-apply, if they have not yet reached the maximum term and wish to stay on the same Committee for another term. To determine your eligibility, check how long you have been a member of your Committee in ‘My Profile’ section of the ECTA website. If you are not eligible, you can still submit your application for another Committee or, after a break of two years (in 2025), it is possible to re-apply for your current Committee. APPLICATION PROCESS: ECTA members should apply for ONE COMMITTEE ONLY * by filling in the online application form. All ECTA members, both from EU and non-EU, can apply for a Committee (however, please read the Committee description carefully first, to see where your expertise and jurisdiction would be a better fit). When completing the application form, please indicate where required your 1st and 2nd Committee choice of preference. The list of nominations will be forwarded to the respective Committee Chair for evaluation. In case you cannot be accepted in your 1st choice, you will be automatically considered for your 2nd choice. Please, supplement your application by describing briefly your IP expertise and your previous ECTA involvement (if any) where indicated in the form. The outcome of your application will be known in May 2023. The Committees’ changeover date is on 10 July 2023, the newly composed Committees will become operational from that date onwards and the first meeting will be held on 12-13 October 2023 at the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Turin (Italy). To apply for a Committee of your choice make sure to submit your candidacy by completing the APPLICATION FORM BY 3 MARCH 2023 (no late applications can be accepted)! *In specific circumstances there may be exceptions to the general rules, namely the possibility to serve in two Committees or to exceed the maximum term of six years in the same Committee. In such cases, the member has to complete the application form and contact the respective Committee Chair(s) at the same time, who will submit the exception form to the ECTA Secretariat. Any exception is to be approved by the ECTA Board of Directors. We look forward to receiving your application and thank you in advance for the interest in serving our association!

Happy New Year! May 2023 be a joyful year for you all and may it mark the end of all wars and the restoration of the state of peace. My thoughts and those of the ECTA Family are in particular with the people of Ukraine. Despite the difficulties at a global level, 2022 was a successful year for ECTA and allowed us to meet again in person after a two-year hiatus. It was exceptional to see many ECTA friends at the ECTA ®etreat in Milan, at the memorable ECTA 40th Annual Conference in Copenhagen, and at the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Ljubljana with a successful workshop on the metaverse and NFTs. In 2022, we also hosted a number of online events, such as the round table on the limits of good faith and our first Africa-dedicated webinar. Among others, we met with relevant DGs of the European Commission, held fruitful Bilateral Meetings with EUIPO and WIPO, signed a MoU with the Bulgarian IP Office, launched the ECTA Award, actively participated in the European IP debate, as well as completed several submissions to authorities, external and internal papers for the benefit of ECTA members and the IP community. Looking ahead to 2023, a lot is cooking for you! At the end of January, you can register at the early bird fee for the ECTA 41st Annual Conference ‘Exploring IP Magic’ in Prague (28 June - 1 July). Get ready for an extensive programme with informative sessions, distinguished guests, lively discussions, networking opportunities...and fun! Don’t forget to also mark these dates in your calendar: • 16 January: Launch of the ECTA General Committee Elections. Do submit your application if you wish to join one of our Committees and contribute to the core of ECTA! • 28 February: Deadline to submit your paper for the ECTA Award. • 2 March: ECTA Round Table in Alicante ‘Geographical indications in the turmoil - Understanding the legal reform, the audacious case law and the relationship with trade marks’, co-organised with the University of Alicante; • 20 April: ECTA ®etreat online on non-traditional trade marks; • 12-14 October: ECTA Autumn Meeting in Turin for Supervisory Board and Committee members. In 2023 we will build on and develop 2022’s achievements. We will deepen ties with our stakeholders and establish new ones both at an international and local level, advocating for a balance of IP rights. We will also continue to closely monitor, keep you updated and contribute to the most relevant topics on the IP agenda in Europe, such as the support to SMEs, AI, EU anti-counterfeiting toolbox, and the EU Design and GIs reforms. Last but not least, three editions of the ECTA Bulletin are in the pipeline! On behalf of the Board of Directors, I express my gratitude to all ECTA members and invite you to renew your membership (if you have not done so yet) to get the most out of our Association. I count on your active participation and look forward to seeing you all at ECTA events! Yours sincerely, Mladen Vukmir, ECTA President

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) allow users to interact with graphics appearing on electronic devices (e.g. smartphones), typically by clicking on the screen icons to execute commands of the program or, in extension, the device. GUIs are then directly connected to user experience with a relevant impact on the consumers' choice of products and companies devote significant resources to their development. This means that appropriate IP protection of GUIs is a relevant economic issue and, according to recent WIPO statistics, this is among the fastest-growing areas of design applications. In light of this, the Design Committee has worked on a paper which explains the current state of play of GUIs and their eligibility for design protection, regardless of the possibility of claiming copyright protection in some cases. The paper also focuses on the most relevant challenges users can face when obtaining protection, as well as addresses those posed by animated GUIs and the problematic limitation of the number of views when representing designs in applications. The relationship of GUIs with the physical product to which it is applied is also a key aspect to be considered by users. Other practical aspects for design applications for GUIs are highlighted by way of example. Particularly, in an international context, special requirements in different jurisdictions should be born in mind when devising a filing strategy to obtain protection. ------- We thank the ECTA Design Committee Leaders, project leaders Luis Soriano Albert (Hoffmann Eitle | Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartmbB, DE) and Emanuel Boesch (Hule Bachmayr-Heyda Nordberg Rechtsanwälte GmbH, AT) and all team members of the working group, who brought this project to fruition for the benefit of the ECTA community.

Registration is open for the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Ljubljana (Slovenia, 13-15 October 2022)! The Autumn Meeting is a flagship ECTA event held annually in a European city and reserved for Supervisory Board and Committee members. In addition to the Supervisory Board and Committee meetings spread over two days, we have on the agenda: a buffet dinner at the Ljubljana Castle on Thursday; the workshop ‘Metaverse and NFTs: How not to get lost’ and the Gala Dinner at the Grand Hotel Union on Friday. Also, on Saturday, you can join us for an excursion to Lake Bled, a symbol of Slovenia’s beauty. To learn more about the program and other details, go to ECTA Committee Meetings 2022 on the left-hand side of the private site. The contribution for the event is 150 € (including the buffet dinner, gala dinner and the workshop, excluding the excursion). Supervisory Board and Committee members have received the invitation to register via email. If you need assistance please send an email to ecta@ecta.org. Once you have registered, refer to the confirmation email for the booking links to reserve your room directly with the UHotel (Conference venue) or Hotel Lev at ECTA rates and conditions, valid until 7 September 2022. After this date, rooms will be released and further requests will be accepted upon availability. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. It is the responsibility of participants to make their timely hotel reservations. Unfortunately, ECTA will not be able to assist with late bookings. We are looking forward to seeing you all in Ljubljana!

The 4th edition of the EUIPO IP Mediation Conference will take place on 19-20 October 2023 in Alicante, with the possibility to attend remotely. ECTA members can register here with 50% discount to attend the Conference ONLINE. This event will bring together experts and practitioners to explore the latest trends and developments in mediation and alternative dispute resolution in the field of IP, and we are pleased to announce that ECTA President Mladen Vukmir will speak in the session ‘The lawyer as a problem-solver’. Kindly consult the Conference programme here.

As part of its study on the implementation of the Trade Marks Directive (2015/2436/EU), the ECTA Harmonization Committee examined how the EU Member States provide protection to trade marks with reputation under Art. 5 (3), outlining the changes that the Directive brought about in the different countries. The report focuses on the concept of reputation, the criteria adopted by National Offices and Courts to recognise reputation, the kind of evidence to be provided to demonstrate reputation, the relevant public to be taken into account, as well as other remarks regarding proceedings. You can read the full project report here, available for ECTA members only. We thank the Harmonization Committee Leaders and team members, in particular Andrea Brandstetter-Kupka (Sonn IP Attorneys, AT) and Judit Lantos (Danubia Patent & Law Office LLC, HU), who brought this project to fruition for the benefit of the ECTA community.

Read the ECTA Design Committee Working Paper on the future of design protection of iterations , for ECTA members only. The fact that a design of a product is very popular with consumers and certain design features are, therefore, at least one essential reason for its economic success, may lead to successor products only being further developed within certain design limits and only being partially revised. This useful Working Paper outlines challenges, case law examples and suggestions for an effective design filing strategy. We thank the Design Committee Leaders and team members, including Beatrix Breitinger, Dr. Ralf Hackbarth, Moritz Koerner, Barnabás Mező, and Dr. Ekkehard Stolz, who brought this project to fruition.

Africa is a continent on the rise. Register for the ECTA webinar IP in Africa (14 September 2022, 14.00-16.00 CET) to learn about the protection and enforcement of IP rights in Africa as well as practical tips and tricks to set up a successful IP strategy. ECTA members can register FREE OF CHARGE here! After the opening by Carina Gommers (ECTA 1st Vice-President, Wiggin, BE), Gaèle Le Borgne (ECTA International Trade Committee, Le Borgne, FR) will moderate a panel of experts comprised of Stephan Hanne (European Commission DG TRADE, BE), Gregor Schneider (AfrIPI Project, CM), Nastassia Saint-Severin (Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, UAE), Christine Strutt (Von Seidels, ZA), Ike C. Ibeku (Benchmac & Ince, NG), and Marius Schneider (IPvocate Africa, MU).

We would like to inform you that the ECTA Presidency rotation took place during the ECTA 40th Annual Conference in Copenhagen. The new composition of the ECTA Board of Directors for the period of 2022/2024 is as follows: 🔷Mladen Vukmir, now President - Responsible for the strategic direction and overall supervision 🔷Carina Gommers, now 1st Vice-President - Responsible for the academic programme of events 🔷Paola Ruggiero, new 2nd Vice-President - Responsible for the general management of Committees 🔷Carolin Kind, Secretary General - Responsible for administrative and contractual matters 🔷Jordi Güell, Treasurer - Responsible for financial matters

ECTA President Anette Rasmussen invites all IP colleagues to beautiful Copenhagen for the ECTA 40th Annual Conference 'Designing the Future' (15-18 June 2022)! Watch the Video! ▶️REGISTER HERE *ECTA Members can attend at a reduced fee CONFERENCE PROGRAM We look forward to bringing back this edition at full-speed and in the usual format, including some upgraded features! We kick-off on 8 June with two online workshops as part of the Conference package and continue on 15 June with Committee meetings (by invitation only) and 16-17 June with Conference sessions. You may expect great speakers, informative sessions on the latest IP trends. Mladen Vukmir, ECTA First Vice-President in charge of the Conference academic program, walks you through this year’s educational offer. Watch the Video! EVENING EVENTS AND SATURDAY EXURSIONS The ECTA Annual Conference is not only educational sessions, but also networking, entertainment…and fun! Join us for the welcome reception at the Langelinie Pavillonen, a taste of Danish cuisine at the Royal Playhouse, the Gala Dinner with show at Wallmans and Saturday excursions with ECTA friends in and around Copenhagen. New to the Conference format is the first-time attendee gathering (by invitation only). Watch the video by Frank Jørgensen (ECTA Local Organising Committee, Denmark) to find out about this year’s gatherings in the coolest settings. ONLINE REGISTRATION AND FRIDAY PASS Can’t make it to Copenhagen or the whole in-person event? Instead, you can opt for one of the following alternative attendance options: 🔹Online Kick-off webinars, 8 June + Full academic program, 16 and 17 June *Committee meetings are not included 🔹Friday Pass (On-site) Kick-off webinars, 8 June + Academic program, 17 June + Gala Dinner, 17 June Find out registration rates here. ECTA CONFERENCE APP AND VIRTUAL HUB! If you are registered you can now download the ECTA Conference App or access the Virtual Hub to create your event profile, stay up to date, consult the list of participants, exhibitors and media partners and start networking! To download the ECTA Conference App (for mobiles): • Go to App Store/Playstore and search for the ‘Cvent Events’ App; • Install the Cvent events App (it has a blue icon with the initial C) ; • Open the Cvent Events App; • Under the search bar type ‘ECTA’. The results will show the ECTA event with an option to download; • Click on the download button and you will be prompted to enter the event id: wpchD ECTA40 (make sure to enter the space after the letter ‘D’); • On the next page you will have to login. Please make sure that you enter the e-mail address with which you have registered for the event; • You will receive a verification code by email. Please enter the 6 digits; • You will now have access to the event content and you profile. Please note that the App cannot filter participants by country. If you wish to do this, please login to the Virtual Hub (for PCs, laptops, tablets) here. Log into the Hub with your First Name/Last Name/Email address with which you have registered for the event, check your phone and e-mail for the One Time Passcode and you are all set to navigate the platform. Please make sure to open the Hub with the latest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari.

REGISTRATION for the ECTA ®etreat in Milan is now open! ECTA Members and colleagues from the same firm of an ECTA Member can attend at a reduced fee! For the first time, the ®etreat will be a full-day event with lunch break. You may expect great IP experts and engaging discussions! 7 APRIL 2022 (MILAN, 9.30-16.30 CET) 'THE NEVER-ENDING CHALLENGE OF SHAPE PROTECTION: DESIGN, TRADE MARK AND COPYRIGHT' Morning session – How are national jurisdictions implementing Cofemel? The Cofemel judgment of the Court of Justice leaves much room for interpretation. Will copyright become the ultimate solution for the protection of shapes? With our experts we will try to better understand how the decision has been implemented in the jurisdictions of the Member States and whether it has had the revolutionary impact that some jurists have attributed to it. Afternoon session – How do shape marks survive invalidity actions? Shape marks continue to constitute crucial IP assets and, at the same time, they are subject to a growing number of invalidity actions, especially when enforced. In the light of the recent case law, what defensive arguments can be brought forward by the right owners? What kind of evidence increases the chances of success? How can trade mark owners limit their exposure? Our panel will explore these and other strategies that can be adopted to reduce the marks’ vulnerability. Consult the programme including the panel of speakers here. On request, attendees will receive a certificate of attendance to approach the respective national Bar Association with respect to CLE credits, if applicable. The event is accredited by the Ordine degli Avvocati di Milano - 3 CLE credits and the Ordine dei Consulenti in Proprietà Industriale - 5 CLE credits. We are looking forward to welcoming many colleagues from Italy and beyond!

The ECTA Professional Affairs Committee has prepared a report analysing the results of a questionnaire on the e-filing system across Europe. To consult the report and its findings by country, please click here. You can also find the report in the ECTA private site/Library/Project reports & other.

Regrettably we cannot accept further registrations as the event is FULLY BOOKED. The ECTA Round Table ‘Geographical indications in the turmoil - Understanding the legal reform, the audacious case law and the relationship with trade marks’ will take place in Alicante (Spain) on 2 March, 16.30 - 19.30 CET. The event is co-organised with the Commercial Law Department of the University of Alicante. Participation is free of charge and onsite only. You can consult the programme with speakers here. After the welcome by ECTA President, Mladen Vukmir, and the EUIPO Executive Director,Christian Archambeau, we will proceed with the following panels: Panel 1: ‘Does the ongoing legal reform bring solely good news?’ Panel 2: ‘Evocation or no evocation? That is the case law’ Panel 3: ‘Collective marks and GIs, what’s wrong?’ A coffee break will take place after the first session and a networking cocktail will be offered to participants in the same venue from 19:30-21:00. We encourage all attendees to stay for this friendly and informal exchange with speakers and attendees. Please find the bio of all moderators here. Please find the bio of speakers of panel 1 here. Please find the bio of speakers of panel 2 here. Please find the bio of speakers of panel 3 here.

Another year with ECTA has just started! Watch the Video Message of ECTA President Anette Rasmussen to learn about ECTA recent achievements and what we are planning for you in 2022. If you have not done it yet, make sure to renew your ECTA membership. We wish you a very happy new year and look forward to seeing you soon at our events!

The EUIPO ECP7 TMD Implementation Training project has organised, in collaboration with the National IPOs and User Associations, including ECTA, a series of live webinars which are covering topics related to the changes brought about by the transposition of the EU Trade Mark Directive in each Member State. In particular, ECTA and BMM will jointly participate in a webinar on 9 December (10.00-12.00 CET) within the framework of the EUIPO TMD webinar series. Speakers from both Associations, Delia Belciu (ECTA), Mara Mondolfo (ECTA), Carina Gommers (BMM), Lenneke van Gaal (BMM) will discuss what has changed in the trade mark opposition procedure as well as in the cancellation, invalidity, revocation procedure from the Benelux, Romania, Italy and other EU jurisdictions’ perspectives. The webinar will be held in English via the Zoom Webinar platform. To find out more and register, please visit here.

Dear Member, One of the EUIPO goals is to develop advanced customer-centric services. To this end, the Office prepared the document EUIPO at the service of custumers – our digital journey which describes the EUIPO’s services planned to be launched under the SP2025. All the services will be designed around four main pathways: discover IP, protect IP, manage IP and exploit and defend IP. The EUIPO invites stakeholders for feedback on the document by filling this survey, which contains 3 questions. Please feel free to share your views by 21 January 2022. Kind regards, ECTA

The IP Enforcement Portal (IPEP) will soon release the new e-application for action (eAFA), becoming the single AFA e-filing and management point for 24 Member States and the alternative system for the other 3 (DE, ES and IT). In collaboration with the European Commission – DG TAXUD, the IPEP team invites rights holders and legal representatives to a workshop on 25 November (3 pm CET), to present the upcoming eAFA release and how it will be handled through IPEP. The workshop is FREE OF CHARGE and will last about one hour and a half (20 minutes presentation + Q&A). If you would like to attend, please REGISTER HERE by 24 November.

Get ready for the Conference and access the Virtual Hub! Log in with your First Name/Last Name/Registered Email Address, check your phone and email for the One Time Passcode and you are all set to navigate the platform. In the Virtual Hub you can: • Browse through the list of all attendees (both, attending online and onsite), exhibitors and media partners; • Exchange messages with other attendees, exhibitors and media partners; • Join ECTA Coffee Breaks to network around a virtual table with up to six participants per table, as of 13 October every day from 2:00 to 2:30 pm CET and between each session on the Conference day. Our President Anette Rasmussen will be joining the ECTA Coffee Breaks on 15 and 18 October; • Consult the Conference Programme; • Attend the online workshops on 13 October 2021; • Attend your Committee meetings and all sessions on 21 and 22 October, if you are an online attendee; • Access the recordings of all workshops and sessions afterwards. Please make sure to open the Hub with the latest version of Google Chrome / Firefox / Microsoft Edge or Safari. Only Conference registrants can access the Hub! Should you have any questions, please send an email to ecta@ecta.org. Enjoy the event!

ECTA is getting ready for its first hybrid Conference. While there are still challenges to be overcome, we are thrilled to finally be able to welcome you on-site in Vienna – or online. It will be a smaller conference than what we have been used to, but with a packed and exciting program with a great range of speakers. We kick-off Wednesday 13 October 2021 with two online workshops and continue Thursday 21 October with Committee meetings and a full Conference day 22 October. I very much hope that you will enjoy what we have prepared for you. Being ECTA, we of course also have our Thursday Welcome Reception on-site and the Gala Dinner Friday evening at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. We can’t wait to welcome our ECTA friends in person again. All meetings and sessions will be live-streamed at the scheduled time via the Virtual Hub! Log in and get familiar with the hub, where Conference registrants can browse through the list of participants and start networking by sending messages to each other or joining one of the ECTA Coffee Breaks, a virtual table for up to six people accessible every day as of 13 October. For those of you who have not signed up yet, remember that there is still time to REGISTER! See you in Vienna! Kind regards, Anette Rasmussen ECTA President

If you have not registered yet, hurry up and SECURE YOUR PLACE for the ECTA 39th Annual Conference ‘Waltzing with IP’ on 21-22 October 2021 in Vienna, this year in a hybrid format! As an ECTA member remember that you can benefit from a reduced fee! **ECTA Committee members kindly be reminded to be registered accordingly, irrespective of which attendance option you have chosen (1. On-site Conference in Vienna 2. Online Conference 3. Online Committee Meetings only).** While a limited group (max 400 participants) will attend the event in the magnificent city of Vienna, a virtual conferencing platform will also be provided to allow remote participation. On-site places will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. Thursday, 21 October will be fully dedicated to ECTA Supervisory Board and Committee meetings, whereas Friday, 22 October will be an immersive educational and networking day with exclusive guests and most distinguished speakers such as WIPO Director General Daren Tang, who will open the academic part of the Conference with a keynote speech. All meetings and Conference sessions will also be accessible online for those who will not be able to travel, however, on-site presence is encouraged. Moreover, to evoke the original format of the ECTA’s Annual Conference, our usual Wednesday workshops will be offered exclusively online one week before the event on 13 October, as part of the ‘Conference package’. Consult the full schedule here! On-site registrants are also invited to our usual Gala Dinner, organised in accordance with all safety protocols at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK)! After a welcome drink, you will have the opportunity to visit the permanent exhibition, dedicated to the development of Viennese arts and crafts between 1890 and 1938. The dinner will be accompanied by jazz music and…an enchanting surprise! Last, but not least, all registrants can navigate the virtual Attendee Hub from the beginning of October by receiving via email the link to access the platform. Here you will be able to browse the list of participants, exhibitors and media partners, exchange messages, join group discussions, consult the program and much more. During the event, the platform will deliver live broadcast quality viewing of all meetings and sessions to those attending virtually.. The health and safety of our Conference participants is ECTA’s main concern, therefore, our attendees will be required to strictly comply with all Austrian COVID-19 regulations (Austrian State, Federal Government or City of Vienna) at the time of registration and at the time of travelling and participating in the event. Austrian COVID-19 regulations are regularly updated here and here. In addition, participants may be required to provide proof of their Covid eligibility to enter Austria and to participate in the event, if requested on-site. We are looking forward to seeing many ECTA friends in Vienna!

We have recently launched the new online ECTA Debate Club, a series of educational and networking IP sessions open to a maximum of 30 members. Places will be assigned on a first come-first served basis, so make sure you apply quickly! Tuesday, 15 June (14.00-15.30 CET): Registrability of trade marks against public order or morality Thursday, 17 June (14.00-15.30 CET): NFTs – A brave new world, or the emperor’s new clothes? (Session Partner: Wiggin LLP) Friday, 25 June (14.00-15.30 CET): Proof of use of a trade mark. A very important factor for all countries? (Session Partner: Koushos Korfiotis Papacharalambous LLC) Tuesday, 29 June (11.00-12.30 CET): Are we in a new era in the fight against trade mark squatting in China? (Session Partner: AWA) Register here All sessions are organised with the support of Knowledge Partner of the ECTA Debate Club June 2021 Koushos Korfiotis Papacharalambous LLC. Besides, from 21 to 25 June, we will hold online Supervisory Board and Committee Meetings. While the Supervisory Board will discuss ECTA strategic and financial aspects, Committee Meetings will be an invaluable opportunity to network with peers, advance projects and learn about recent case law, legislative and policy developments. All ECTA members are invited to join us at the Annual General Meeting on 25 June. To consult the schedule of June events, please click here. We are looking forward to having you on board for our upcoming initiatives and meetings!

ECTA was invited by the European Commission (DG Connect) and its Contractor (Fasano Paulovics Società tra Avvocati and Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble) to contribute to a Study on Domain Name System (DNS) abuse. The objectives of the Study are multifold, as it aims to analyse comprehensively the DNS abuse phenomenon and to identify possible solutions to mitigate abusive activities as well as necessary policy measures. To find out more please read here. In order to assist the European Commission, we kindly ask our members who have experience in this area to fill this QUESTIONNAIRE by 18 June 2021. Please feel free to mention your affiliation with ECTA when prompted in one of the relevant questions. Thank you for your collaboration.

Would you like to collaborate on ECTA publications or help us shape the educational programme for the Annual Conference and other events? Do you have innovative ideas on how to strengthen and develop the ECTA membership base? Doors are open to our Publications, Programme and Membership & Disciplinary Committee! These administrative Committees directly support ECTA Governing Bodies and the Secretariat by undertaking crucial tasks for the smooth functioning of our Association. In particular: • The Publications Committee coordinates and ensures the high quality of ECTA publications, including the ECTA Bulletin; • The Programme Committee monitors IP developments and identifies hot topics and suitable speakers for ECTA events; • The Membership & Disciplinary Committee ensures the satisfaction of existing members, works on consolidating ECTA relations with Universities as well as recruiting new members. If you are a member willing to play an active role in ECTA’s administration and service improvement, seize the chance and apply to one of these core Committees anytime by sending an email to ecta@ecta.org.

A lot is cooking for ECTA members in June! Here a glimpse of what to expect: As you know, we are launching soon our new online event concept ECTA Debate Club, a series of educational and networking IP sessions exclusively open to ECTA members for free. The sessions will take place virtually on 15, 17, 25 and 29 June and will be open to a maximum of 30 members to allow interactivity. Places will be assigned on a first come-first served basis, so make sure to apply as soon as the registration opens in the coming weeks! From 21 to 25 June, we will hold online Supervisory Board and Committee Meetings. While the Supervisory Board will discuss ECTA strategic and financial aspects, Committee Meetings will be an invaluable opportunity to network with peers, advance projects and learn about recent case law, legislative and policy developments. Besides, all ECTA members are invited to join us at the Annual General Meeting on 25 June. To consult the schedule of June events, please click here. We invite you to stay updated by checking the ECTA website, LinkedIn, Twitter and the ECTA APP regularly.

ECTA is launching its new online event concept ECTA Debate Club and we are looking for Firms to join us as Partners for this initiative! ECTA Debate Club is a series of interactive, educational and networking IP sessions open to a maximum of 30 attendees. The sessions will take place virtually on 15, 17, 25 and 29 June 2021 (14.00 - 15.30 CET) and will be open exclusively to ECTA members for free. If you would like to support an interesting Debate, have influence in shaping our forthcoming sessions and give your Firm visibility within the IP Community, join us as a Session Partner or a Knowledge Partner: - Session Partner This partnership covers one session only. Session Partner can propose the topic and moderator of the session and will be mentioned in the respective ECTA communications. - Knowledge Partner This partnership covers all four sessions of ECTA Debate Club. Knowledge Partner can suggest additional topics and will be advertised in all ECTA communications about the initiative. To learn about the advantages and the pricing of these offers, please read here. If you are interested in becoming a Partner, send an email to ecta@ecta.org by Friday 14 May 2021. Please, specify your partnership category of preference. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Dear ECTA Member, I hope you are well and looking forward to learning of the exciting events ECTA has planned for 2021. Despite the pandemic still having an impact, also on travelling, we are planning to revert to physical events this year! Below is the outline of our events – do mark these dates in your calendar! In February we held our Alicante Roundtable and in March last week we held the ECTA ®etreat, both very successful in virtual format. In May, we will hold our next roundtable, so look out for more information on this. During two weeks from 14 to 30 June, we will hold our Annual General Meeting, Supervisory Board and Committee Meetings in a virtual format, as well as introduce ECTA DEBATE CLUB, a series of meetings only for ECTA members. Detailed information will follow. We hope you will enjoy this new concept. Our Annual Conference will be moved to 21-22 October this year! It will be in a hybrid format, so we look forward to welcoming some of you in Vienna. Detailed information will follow. Finally, we will hold a roundtable also in the beginning of December. I count on your support and hope to see you at ECTA’s events this year! Kind regards, Anette Rasmussen ECTA President

ECTA year is well on track and a lot is cooking for our members in the months to come. If you have not done so yet, don’t forget to renew your membership by 31 March 2021*! Renewal has never been so easy! Find your invoice in the private site of the ECTA Website/My ECTA/My Invoices, tap on ‘click here to pay’ and follow the instructions. If you pay by bank transfer, kindly ensure that your invoice number only is quoted as a reference so that we can identify your payment. Please also make sure that we receive the amount free of all bank charges. Regrettably, we are unable to accept cheques. We value each member of the ECTA Family very much and we hope to have you with us for another year full of great opportunities in the field of IP! *Kindly note that as of 1 April 2021 an extra charge of 10% will be applied for late payments. If no payment has been received by 15 May 2021 the member is removed from membership according to Article 12.2 of ECTA’s Articles of Association. We thank you in advance for your precious support! We love ECTA! Yours sincerely, Jordi Güell Treasurer General

Being part of the ECTA Family is a valuable opportunity for an IP professional. Make sure to maximise your membership by taking advantage of all the benefits we offer. As a member, you have the chance to network with numerous IP colleagues from all around the EU and beyond, sharing best practices and developing new ways of doing business. Also, you can attend our events and learning opportunities at a reduced fee, such as the ECTA Annual Conference, ECTA Alicante Round Table, ECTA ®etreat, ECTA Autumn Meeting (for Supervisory Board and Committee members) as well as other workshops and webinars on the latest IP case law, legislative and policy developments. You might also join one of our Committees, depending on your IP area of interest. As a Committee member, you will actively strive for the balance of IP rights by contributing to many projects, working groups, meetings, initiatives with the European Commission, WIPO, EUIPO and other stakeholders. Benefit from the full access to the private part of our website to find interesting IP-related material (e.g. ECTA position papers, past ECTA Bulletins, recordings of ECTA learning initiatives, etc.), follow the work of our Committees closely, consult our calendar and much more. Also, thanks to the ECTA Member Guide, a dedicated feature of the ECTA APP for our members only, you can easily contact anyone from the Association through a membership list, be updated on the upcoming ECTA activities and latest IP news. Last but not least, you can get yourself noticed in the IP Community by contributing to the ECTA Bulletin and news section of our website. ECTA will soon be offering possibilities for members to support our Association and get visibility by either becoming an ECTA endorser, sponsor or donator. More details on this will be provided in the coming weeks. To continue to benefit from all these advantages, don’t forget to renew your membership by 31 March 2021!

General Committee Elections are still running. Don’t forget to apply for a Committee of your choice by 5 March 2021 (no late applications can be accepted)! Being part of an ECTA Committee is an invaluable opportunity to cooperate with many experienced professionals throughout the EU and beyond, actively contribute to relevant projects, get first-hand knowledge on all the developments in your area of interest within IP and much more. If you are interested, please carefully read the following documents before submitting your application: - ECTA Committee Member Expectation Sheet - ECTA Bulletin article on General Committee Elections 2021 - Overview of our Committees COMMITTEE TERM: The Committee term constitutes two years and Committee members may serve on the same Committee for a maximum consecutive term of six years* (three periods of two years each). Please note that Committee membership is not renewed automatically. Current Committee members will have to re-apply, if they have not yet reached the maximum term and wish to stay on the same Committee for a further term. Check how long you have been a member of the same Committee in ‘My Profile’ section of the ECTA website, in order to determine your eligibility. If you are not eligible, you can still submit your application for another Committee or, after a break of two years (in 2023), it is possible to reapply for your current Committee. APPLICATION PROCESS: ECTA members should apply for ONLY ONE Committee membership* by filling in the online Application Form only ONCE. All ECTA members, both from EU and non-EU, are invited to apply for a Committee. When completing the Application Form, please indicate where required your 1st and 2nd Committee choice of preference. The list of nominations will be forwarded to the respective Committee Chair for evaluation. In case you cannot be accepted in your 1st choice, you will be automatically considered for your 2nd choice. Please, supplement your application by describing briefly your IP expertise and your previous ECTA involvement (if any) where indicated in the Application Form. The outcome of your application will be known in May/June 2021. The Committees change-over date is on 1 July 2021, the newly composed Committees will become operational from that date onwards. In order to apply for a Committee of your choice make sure to submit your candidacy by completing the APPLICATION FORM. *There may be exceptions to the general rules, namely the possibility to serve in two Committees or to exceed the maximum consecutive term of six years in the same Committee. In such cases, the member has to complete the application form accordingly and contact the related Committee Chair (Chairs) at the same time. Any exception is to be approved by the ECTA Board of Directors. We are looking forward to receiving your application and thank you in advance for the interest in serving ECTA!

Dear ECTA members, We would like to draw your attention to some changes concerning the means of communications with the Office, which will enter into force as of 1 March 2021. Kindly be reminded of the Decision No EX-20-9 of the Executive Director of the Office of 3 November on communication by electronic means. In particular, please note that: - fax will no longer be offered and used as a mean of communication in procedures before the Office. - in the event of a malfunction during an electronic transmission via the e-operation or e-filing tool in the User Area, the transmission must be resubmitted via one of the other accepted means of communication or back-up solutions such as an upload solution in the Communications section of the User Area or a file-sharing solution outside the User Area. To learn more, please consult the Decision in full. In case of any problem, EUIPO first line should be contacted for support and recommending the best solution in any given circumstance. We would also like to draw your attention to another recent Decision No EX-20-10 of the Executive Director of the Office of 22 December 2020 on technical specifications for annexes submitted on data carriers. In particular, kindly note that: - the Office accepts the following data carriers: small portable storage drives such as USB flash drives, pen drives or similar memory units. The Office does not accept external hard drives, memory cards, CD ROMs, DVDs, other optical discs or magnetic data carriers of any kind. Art.1 (1) and (2) of the Decision. - the maximum size of each individual annex saved on the data carrier is restricted to 20 MB. To learn more, please read the Decision in full. Kindly note that the 20 MB restriction only affects the individual annex and not the overall size of all annexes. In case the individual annex exceeds 20 MB, it could be split in different annexes. As these Decisions will introduce some changes in the way of communicating with the EUIPO, we would like to know how our members usually communicate with the Office and hear their opinion in this regard. If you would like to share your view with us, kindly fill in this survey. Many thanks for taking note of this information.

The EUIPO Boards of Appeal, together with the EUIPO’s International Cooperation and Legal Affairs Department and the EUIPO’s Academy, will organise entirely online the 3rd IP Mediation Conference on 22 and 23 March 2021. Leading experts from the EUIPO, jurisprudence, institutions and academia will address the latest developments in IP mediation. The aspects covered by the programme will include: Mediation Policies in the EU; Mediation and Arbitration; International Disputes: Mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution services; Mediation and e-commerce; SME IP rights holder dispute resolution; The Singapore Convention and its opportunities/implications for IP mediation – a fireside panel chat. The event will be held in English with interpretation in French and Spanish. Registration is open until 15 March and costs € 150. ECTA members who would like to attend the event will be awarded a 50% discount by registering here. To find out more about the event and its programme, please consult the IP Mediation Conference page.

Registration for the ECTA Alicante Round Table is now open, make sure to secure your place HERE! As a member you can register at a reduced fee! 17 February 2022 (Online, 16.30-18.30 CET) – ‘ECTAPOLY: Testing the Limits of Good Faith!’ After the welcome of ECTA Second Vice-President Carina Gommers (Wiggin, BE), Fabio Angelini (ECTA Copyright Committee Chair, Bugnion S.p.A., IT) will moderate this very unusual and interactive round table, in the form of a board game! Our players will be Virginia Melgar (Chairperson of the 5th EUIPO Board of Appeal, ES), Verena von Bomhard (BomhardIP, ES), Elena Miller (ECTA Harmonization Committee Chair, Bojinov & Bojinov, BG), Ewelina Karolina Sliwinska (Legal Department, EUIPO, ES), Vanessa Mary Page Holland (Operations Department, EUIPO, ES)…and also the public! The event will be held in English via the Zoom Webinar platform. The attendance fee is 20,00€ for ECTA members / 40,00€ for non-members. Students and officials can attend free of charge. On request, you will receive a certificate of attendance to approach your national Bar Association with respect to CLE credits, if applicable. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the event!

Another year with the ECTA family has just started! Watch the Video Message of the ECTA President Anette Rasmussen to learn about ECTA recent achievements and what’s cooking for you in 2021. We are planning exciting events and learning opportunities such as round tables, webinars, the ECTA ®etreat and, hopefully, a hybrid Annual Conference in Vienna. Don’t forget that General Committee Elections are coming up soon on 18 January 2021 and that 1 March 2021 is the deadline to submit papers for the ECTA Award! ECTA will also continue to strive for the balance of IP rights, working closely with Institutions on the legal reforms on Designs, GIs and Digital Services as well as on many other topics in the field of IP. We would like to thank you for the continuous support and contribution to our favourite Association, and we hope to see you in our upcoming events and initiatives! To stay up to date with recent IP news and ECTA activities, please check our Website, LinkedIn, Twitter and the ECTA APP regularly!

ECTA General Committee Elections are coming up soon on 18 January 2021! Watch the VIDEO MESSAGE of Carina Gommers, ECTA Second Vice President, to find out more about the upcoming elections and all the advantages of being a Committee member: “Being part of an ECTA Committee is truly a great experience! It provides you with first-hand knowledge on all the new developments in the world of IP laws. It’s also an opportunity for you to showcase your expertise and experience, to help and assist ECTA in its Committees’ work and, in some cases, you will be able to represent ECTA in meetings with European Institutions, EUIPO or WIPO.” Don't miss the chance to submit your candidacy when call for applications opens! Check regularly ECTA channels and learn more about our Committees here.

Enjoy the first ECTA Podcast, developed by the ECTA Design Committee on the CJEU Cofemel decision and how the intricacies of the interaction between Copyright and Design Law have been interpreted by National Courts. You can find the episode on Spreaker HERE and Spotify HERE. The episode is a lively discussion between Shane Smyth (IE) and Niccolò Ferretti (IT) from the Design Committee, together with other colleagues from the Committee: Janne Brit-Hansen (DK), Patrick Wheeler (UK), Filipe Baptista (PT) and Jan Schumacher (DE), who provided engaging insights on how Cofemel has already interacted with National Court Decisions. ECTA podcasts are developed by ECTA members and specialised Committees with the aim of providing our listeners with high-quality discussions on key topics in the field of IP, such as designs, copyright, trade marks, geographical indications, anti-counterfeiting and much more. Stay updated with ECTA many initiatives and IP news! Don't forget to regularly check ECTA social media and website at www.ecta.org and download the ECTA APP!

ECTA Autumn Meeting 2020 has just ended and, although we haven’t been able to meet in person this time, we would like to thank you once again for your support and active participation during all the meetings and initiatives of last week. • VIRTUAL COMMITTEE AND SUPERVISORY/COUNCIL MEETING From 19 to 23 October, we have had fruitful ECTA Committee Meetings, where our Leaders and Committee members discussed and finalised projects, analysed case law, debated on recent IP developments, tools, practices and brainstormed on the new areas and topics of interest for new projects. Also, our newly created Data Committee and International Trade Committee have met for the first time. We wish their Leaders and Committee members a lot of useful exchanges, sharing of experience and many fruitful projects in the years to come! On 21 and 22 October, we have also held the Supervisory Board/Council Meetings with an in-depth discussion about strategic items, current topics and next steps of our Association. • ECTA WEBINARS ECTA has provided our members and the IP Community with two interesting online offerings: - User generated brands and social media vocabulary: symbols, expression, and commerce - Curious about case law Many participants, members, non-members and students, attended our webinars and gave us very positive feedback about these learning opportunities. We would like to thank our distinguished speakers and moderators - ECTA Committee members, officials from the EU bodies, IP professionals and academics - for sharing with our participants their expertise on these engaging topics. Don’t forget that other ECTA webinars are planned and registrations will be opened soon: - ‘IP strategy for trade marks and GIs in connection with the Brexit’ (13 November) - ‘Is a design reform needed? 3D printing / virtual printing?’ (4 December) ECTA members can participate at a reduced fee. Upon request, you will receive a certificate of attendance, to request CLE credits from national Bar Associations. • ECTA IP HOUR As a pleasant conclusion after a busy week of ECTA meetings, we have organised a social gathering for all ECTA friends. During this event, we congratulated the winners of the ECTA Award 2020, reminisced about key ECTA events and the ECTA family from 1980 onwards and raised the glasses for the 40th birthday of our favourite association. If you would like to be more active in ECTA and join one of our Committees, remember that General Committee Elections are coming up next January! Don’t miss our updates on this and other ECTA activities by regularly checking the ECTA Website, LinkedIn, Twitter and the ECTA APP (a permanent mobile app containing membership information and all the recent ECTA updates)! We hope to be back together soon and we THANK YOU once again for your continuous support!

All ECTA members are warmly invited to join the ECTA IP HOUR on Friday 23 October (16:00-17:00 Brussels time), a pleasant conclusion after a busy week of online Committee and Supervisory Board meetings! A lot is cooking for this virtual social gathering: after a welcome by the ECTA Board of Directors, we will reward the winners of the ECTA Award 2020 and launch the ECTA Award 2021. We will also celebrate the ECTA 40th birthday and announce the winner of the celebratory competition, who will be granted one year of free ECTA membership. But that’s not all! We have prepared some surprises to recall key ECTA events and ECTA family personalities over the last 40 years and to see how well you are informed about our favourite Association! To participate, please REGISTER HERE! Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to join the event. We suggest adding the event to your personal Calendar in order not to miss our IP Hour! We hope to see all ECTA friends at this event to share a pleasant moment and raise the glasses together! Please bring your favourite drink!

ECTA is ready to provide our members an autumn full of learning opportunities with high quality speakers on relevant IP topics! As an ECTA member, don't forget that you can register at a reduced fee! 14 October 2020 (16:00 - 17:30 Brussels time) User generated brands and social media vocabulary: symbols, expression, and commerce The webinar will be focused on brands and signs in the digital environment. Andrew Bridges (Fenwick & West LLP, US) will be moderating a distinguished panel of speakers, composed by Alexandra J. Roberts (University of New Hampshire School of Law, US), Katja Middelhoff (CMS, DE) and Dev Gangjee, (Oxford University, UK). The aim is to examine and compare the function of those signs not protected as trade marks or used exclusively for commerce, and that appear in the public space in mixed functions, mainly on social media. REGISTER HERE by 12 October 23 October 2020 (13:30 - 15:00 Brussels time) Curious about Case Law Our ECTA President Anette Rasmussen (AWA, DK) will be moderating a distinguished panel of speakers composed by Philippe Péters (NautaDutilh, BE) and Antje Söder (EUIPO, ICLAD, ES), to discuss the significance and practical implications on the following IP case law: C-328/18 P - Black Label by Equivalenza; C-237/19 - Gömböc; C-24/16 - Nintendo. REGISTER HERE by 21 October The webinars are open to all and will be held in English via the Zoom Webinar platform. The cost per webinar is 50,00€ for ECTA members/80,00€ for non-members. If you would like to attend both webinars, the cost is 70,00€ for ECTA members/120,00€ for non-members. Upon request, you will receive a certificate of attendance, in order to request CLE credits from national Bar Associations, if needed. CLE credits are awarded or are positively considered by the responsible authorities in the Benelux, France, Poland, Germany, Estonia, Italy, UK, Cyprus, Hungary, Romania and Lithuania, among others. ECTA has contacted the responsible organizations in all other Member States, where CLE credits are required. If you’d like to join our learning hub, seize the opportunity and reserve your place! Don’t forget that further webinars are being planned for later this year! Please note the dates of 13 November on Brexit and 3 December on Design topics.

Dear ECTA members, Welcome back from a hopefully nice holiday break. I hope you are ready for an Autumn with plenty of ECTA activities. I can inform you that members of the Supervisory Board have been working together with the First and Second Vice-President of ECTA and I over the summer on developing the ECTA Strategic Plan 2020/2026, and we are hoping to finalize the discussions when we meet for the online Supervisory Board meeting in October. We hope with this to continue the evolvement of ECTA, also facing the “new normal” we all now find ourselves in. ECTA has been busy preparing an exciting Autumn for you and we hope you will join the events lined up. Please mark the following dates in your calendar: ECTA Autumn Meeting, during the week of 19 to 23 October 2020. The exact schedule of the Committee meetings and Council/Supervisory Board meetings will be communicated shortly. Virtual social ECTA gathering in the afternoon of 23 October 2020 where we will raise the glasses for the ECTA 40th birthday and hold a celebratory competition. On this occasion, we will also have the ECTA Award ceremony for 2020. We are inviting all ECTA members to prepare a congratulatory message in any format (e.g. short video, picture, text, drawing) and send it to ecta@ecta.org by 21 September 2020. The Board of Directors will select the best of the best to be shown during the virtual celebration ceremony and the winner will be granted one year of free ECTA membership. But that is not all! Following your positive feedback to our June webinars, we are offering new learning opportunities: - 14 October 2020 (16:00 Brussels time) User generated brands and the social media vocabulary: symbols, expression, and commerce. Moderator: Andrew Bridges, Fenwick & West LLP (US) - 23 October 2020 (13:30 Brussels time) Curious about Case Law (C-328/18 P - Black Label by Equivalenza; C-237/19 - Gömböc; C-24/16 - Nintendo) Moderator: Anette Rasmussen, ECTA President, AWA (DK) Further webinars are being planned for later this year, please note the dates of 13 November on Brexit and 3 December on Design topics. This week, the Board of Directors of ECTA will be meeting with several sections of the European Commission to discuss important IP topics and position papers prepared by ECTA Committees. If you are interested in being part of an ECTA Committee, bear in mind that General Committee Elections are taking place every two years and are coming up in January 2021! I hope you will enjoy the Autumn events we are preparing for you and will not miss to sign up for a Committee of your choice next year! I wish you and your families good health and very much look forward to seeing you at our virtual events! Anette Rasmussen ECTA President

ECTA is happy to celebrate its 40th birthday in a virtual format on 23 October 2020 and invite all its members to participate! For this occasion, don’t forget to be CREATIVE and prepare a CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE in any format (e.g. short video, picture, drawing) and send it to ecta@ecta.org by 12 October 2020. The Board of Directors (formerly known as Management Committee) will select the best of the best to be shown during the virtual celebration ceremony. The winner will be granted one (1) year of free ECTA membership! (*the prize is not redeemable in any other form). GDPR rules will be respected. Don’t forget to book this date in your calendars, more details will follow soon. We hope to see all ECTA friends at this event and looking forward to raising the glasses all together!

ECTA is pleased to announce the creation of the Data Committee and International Trade Committee, which have been approved during the ECTA Council/Board virtual Meeting on 17 June 2020. Data Committee Its main task is to analyse the developments in the field of data, to closely follow the legislative developments in the EU as well as third countries, to analyse them and to prepare position papers and other feedback. The Data Committee will be chaired by Delia Belciu (RO). Please, click HERE to learn more about its description and mission. International Trade Committee Its main task consists of closely following the EU’s international trade negotiations from the perspective of intellectual property and to prepare statements of ECTA if appropriate. The International Trade Committee will be chaired by Renate Pouw (NL). Please, click HERE to learn more about its description and mission. If you are interested in being part of one of these Committees, please send an application to ecta@ecta.org by 15 September 2020, highlighting your previous involvement in the related topic and the reasons you would like to join the Committee. Since the new Committees have been set up in the middle of the ECTA Committees’ term, kindly note that the selected candidates will exceptionally serve as Data or International Trade Committee members until 2023. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

As you know, ECTA Autumn Meeting in October is coming up soon. Because of the success of the June virtual meetings, the uncertainty of the global health situation and possible travel restrictions in October, as well as your feedback obtained by our recent survey, the ECTA Management decided to hold the ECTA Autumn Meeting this year in an online format. The physical Autumn Meeting in Ljubljana (SL) will be postponed to 2021.   During the June virtual meetings, ECTA and its members have proven to be flexible, adaptable and ready to face challenges and changes and we are looking forward to welcoming the Council/Supervisory Board and Committee meetings again in a virtual format. The meetings will be held during the week of 19 to 23 October 2020, while the exact schedule of individual meetings will be communicated at a later date. Apart from the regular meetings, we are also working on some new webinars and will hold a virtual social gathering in the afternoon of 23 October 2020. Please book this date in your calendars!   During the social gathering, we will have the ECTA Award ceremony, raise the glasses for the ECTA 40th birthday and hold a celebratory competition. In this regard, we are inviting all ECTA members to prepare a congratulatory message on the occasion of ECTA 40th birthday in any format (e.g. short video, picture, text, drawing) and send it at ecta@ecta.org by 15 September 2020. The Board of Directors (formerly known as Management Committee) will select the best of the best to be shown during the virtual celebration ceremony. The winner will be granted one (1) year of free ECTA membership! (*the prize is not redeemable in any other form). GDPR rules will be respected. We hope to see all ECTA friends at this event.   We wish you and your families good health and endurance and look forward to seeing you in person again soon.

During the ECTA Council/Board Meeting, held online on 17 June 2020, the Presidency handover took place and Anette Rasmussen has been appointed as new ECTA President 2020/2022. Since this year it was not possible to meet in person due to the difficult circumstances related to the pandemic, the Presidency handover was done virtually instead of the usual way, namely during the Annual Conference Gala Dinner. As the majority of ECTA members could not witness it live this time, we are glad to be able to share with the ECTA family the RECORDING of the ECTA Presidency handover, so that you could also witness this special and moving moment for our Association. The recording includes the closing speech of Sozos-Christos Theodoulou, as the outgoing President, and the inaugural speech of Anette Rasmussen, as the new President, including the symbolic ECTA medal handover. We sincerely congratulate our new President, Anette Rasmussen, and wish all the best to the former President Sozos-Christos Theodoulou!

Kindly find here a SUMMARY of our virtual events, the changes that have taken place, as well as the results achieved by ECTA during the past weeks: from the Presidency changeover to the virtual Committee and Council/Board meetings, ECTA Webinars and Council/Board elections and rotation. We would be very pleased to hear your feedback as to how this all went from your perspective. We kindly invite you to complete this short SATISFACTION SURVEY, which shall not take more than two minutes of your time. Your contribution will help us very much to excel with our virtual events in the future.

Dear ECTA Members, We would like to inform you that ECTA has amended its Privacy Policy, which you can consult HERE. Kind regards, ECTA

Dear all, with much regret kindly be informed that ECTA Management has taken the decision to POSTPONE THE ECTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2020 IN COPENHAGEN TO 15-17 JUNE 2022 (in two years’ time). During the past weeks, ECTA Management Committee has monitored the developments of the world health situation and has followed the communications from various national authorities. At ECTA, our primary concern is the health and safety of all participants, while also aiming at maintaining the quality and high standard of our events. We therefore believe that the postponement of the Copenhagen Conference is the best solution, considering also the evolving and still unpredictable situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. For those of you, who have already registered to the ECTA Annual Conference in June 2020, a full refund of the registration fee paid by you will be made by ECTA in the coming days. Although the Conference will not be held physically in June 2020, we are planning to hold the Council and Committee meetings remotely and we are working on organising some of the Conference sessions as webinars to take place later this year through the use of web-based tools, to hold some of the sessions as individual round tables/workshops or integrate them in future Conferences. Our preparations for the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia in October 2020 and ECTA Annual Conference in Vienna, Austria in June 2021 are well on track. We are working hard to provide our Members and attendees with high quality and high standard educational and networking opportunities, making sure that ECTA events are enjoyable, informative and productive. In the meantime, our thoughts and sympathy are with all those who are affected by COVID-19. We wish you good health and strength in these difficult times and hope that we will grow together even more.

WTR Connect returns with its spring edition entitled "Exchanging cost-effective and resource-efficient best practices" for a week of purpose-built trade mark and brand protection discussions. From 15 to 19 March, WTR will be hosting live more than 20 individual interactive digital sessions on key topic areas and challenges facing trade mark and brand leaders (e.g. A global view: the ‘need to know’ lowdown from the US, Europe and China; Counterfeits in the age of COVID; Demonstrating trade mark value within the business; Cost-effectively protecting and enforcing brands in the global environment; etc.) with leading experts at Microsoft, Dyson, Gilead, Red Bull, Facebook, Burberry, Mattel, Vodafone, Nestle and many more. Each day will start with a keynote address from a major industry figure, followed by live breakout discussions lasting for a maximum of 60 minutes. These will be in different formats such as masterclasses, open discussions forums, solution rooms and closed-door, invite-only boardrooms. You can register for as many sessions as you like across the week, building your own schedule. To consult and download the full agenda of the event, please click here. WE ARE HAPPY TO INFORM YOU THAT ECTA MEMBERS CAN ATTEND THE EVENT AT HALF-PRICE. TO BENEFIT FROM THE DISCOUNT, USE THE CODE ‘ECTA’ UPON REGISTRATION AND GET 50% OFF THE FULL TICKET PRICE.

ECTA General Committee Elections are coming up soon on 18 January 2021! Don’t miss to submit your candidacy when the call for applications opens and no later than 5 March 2021! Being part of an ECTA Committee is an invaluable opportunity to cooperate with many experienced professionals throughout the EU and beyond, as well as actively contribute to relevant projects in your IP area of interest. To find out everything you need to know, kindly consult the Committee Member Expectation Sheet (available via ECTA Private Site/Library/Important ECTA policies), as well as the ECTA Bulletin article explaining all relevant rules on General Committee Elections. The Committee term constitutes two years and Committee members may serve on the same Committee for a maximum consecutive term of six years (three periods of two years each). Please remember that Committee membership is limited in time and is not renewed automatically. If you are a current Committee member and wish to reapply for your Committee, please check how long you have been a member of the same Committee in the ECTA private site/My Profile, in order to determine your eligibility to stay on the same Committee for another term. If you have missed the video message of ECTA Second Vice-President Carina Gommers about the upcoming elections and the advantages of being a Committee member, please watch it here. To learn more about our Committees, their mission and description, please click here More information on General Committee Elections will follow in due course. Regularly check our Website, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay updated!

Dear Member, We are pleased to announce that the October 2019 edition of the ECTA Bulletin with the latest ECTA news, Committee insights, articles and case law reports has arrived. Click HERE and enjoy reading! The print friendly pdf version is available in the Library section. Kind regards, ECTA

Dear Member, As you are aware, ECTA is moving its legal seat to Belgium. As ECTA AISBL will only officially start operation in January 2020, and as our bank account number will change, we kindly ask you not to make your membership subscription payment for 2020 until you receive your invoice. For information the 2020 membership subscription fees are as follows: Ordinary/Associate/Affiliate: € 295 Corporate (industry only): € 395 Retired/Recently Graduated: € 147.50 Student: € 30 Best regards, ECTA

Dear Member, Welcome to your website! Following its Strategic Plan, the Management Committee of ECTA is pleased to deliver this brand new virtual workplace to you. As a member of ECTA, you have the privilege to access the private part of our association's website and to be able to use all of its functions. Through the available links, you will eventually be able to browse the membership directory, consult your calendar, have an inside look at your committee's activity, send and receive messages from your peers, look for ECTA's published position papers and, in general, keep in touch with what's going on within your favourite professional association. So, enjoy browsing with us. I look forward to seeing you in one of our future events, soon. Best regards, Sozos-Christos Theodoulou ECTA President