European Union Intellectual Property Office - EUIPO

It entertained a generation of children – and it continues to do so today.

Launched at the dawn of the '90s, the Game Boy was conceived to be affordable and durable. Despite not being the most advanced gaming console, it became a massive success.

Three decades on, the Game Boy continues to retain its initial appeal. And intellectual property rights, mostly trade marks and designs, help to safeguard its name, iconic looks and shape.

Stay tuned for more iconic trade marks of the 90s! Our journey through time to celebrate our 30th birthday.

‘Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.’ or ‘Duff Beer' are just some examples of famous brands that made their first appearance on film and TV, but their popularity transformed them into real trade marks.

Fictional brands are often used in entertainment, but what purpose do they serve? And how do they transition from fiction to reality?

Find out in our webinar: https://euipo.europa.eu/knowledge/course/view.php?id=5015

📅 19 September: Mark your calendars to celebrate European innovation and 30 years of excellence with us!
Join the EUIPO and Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) for a seminar on IP strategies and their impact on the Single Market, artificial intelligence and the future of IP, new legislation and the challenges associated with counterfeiting. Network with experts and gain insights to propel your IP knowledge.

View the programme and register now for the event either in-person in Alicante or online: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/news/joint-euipo-and-cpvo-seminar-30-years-of-incentivising-innovation

❗ Registration closes 9 September

How does a shoe business grow into a global brand?

The key to most of that success lies on intellectual property – it safeguards the innovations that make a shoe unique.

™️ Trade marks do not only protect the company’s name and/or logo, but also distinctive features in the shoe such as its shape or the way a colour or a stripe is placed on the shoe.

👞 Designs rights and design patents protect the shoe’s unique looks and its overall appearance. They can cover a shape, colour, and pattern of an entire shoe or only a portion of it.

🦿 Utility patents protect the technology that goes into the shoe. This can either be a feature that changes how the shoe functions or that improves its performance (e.g. a mechanism that makes you jump higher or a sensor system that measures foot pressure).

Learn more: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/news/the-world-of-intellectual-property-protection-for-shoes

'Copy' and 'Right', our campus cats, wish you a lovely International Cat Day 😻

Usain Bolt, Mbappe, Bellingham, Seve Ballesteros, Michael Jordan… They are all (or were) superstars on the pitch and they all have their signature poses registered as EU trade marks.

Many athletes decide to register their names, iconic poses or silhouettes as trade marks to expand their brands and businesses. This allows them to use the mark on a variety of products (clothing, jewellery, shoes...) or services such as restaurants or sports bars.

Trade marks serve to identify a product on the market and can also be licensed to others. Learn more about trade marks: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/trade-marks

Did you know that the world's oldest trade mark was registered for beer – back in the 19th century?

On International Beer Day, take a closer look at the intellectual property rights protecting this beloved drink. Cheers! 🍻

Did you know that The Phryges, the official mascots of the Paris 2024 Olympics, are registered trade marks?

Mascots contribute to creating an emotional bond with consumers and, by protecting them as intellectual property, brands safeguard this unique marketing asset and ensure it is not illegally copied by others.

A mascot can be protected by different IP rights. While copyright refers to its creative expression, trade marks and design rights protect its overall appearance, as well as the name and concept behind the character.

Here ⤵️ a few more examples of registered mascots from our trade mark database.

Europe is a design powerhouse and, when design meets intellectual property, innovation thrives.

Take a look at the six outstanding finalists of the 2024 DesignEuropa Awards:

🇩🇰 Beolab 8, by Noto Designs for Bang & Olufsen, is a modular speaker offering high-fidelity sound, versatility in placement and durability.

🇷🇴 Empyrean II audio headphones, by Meze Audio, blend exceptional sound quality with an ergonomic design.

🇨🇿 Essenza 300 LT, by LINET, is a hospital bed with technology for improved safety and operational ease, enhancing patient care and caregiver efficiency.

🇧🇪 ModuleOne, by Jan Wellens for MyGrid, is a smart home battery system that prioritises accessibility and sustainability, enhancing energy independence.

🇸🇪 Transparent Turntable, by Per Brickstad, is a modern reinterpretation of the classic vinyl record player, with a focus on repairability and sustainable design.

🇪🇪 Piil, by Arseni Timofejev, is a a prefabricated, modular retreat combining functionality with environmental sustainability.

Learn more about them and stay tuned! Soon we will open registrations to watch the awards ceremony live at www.designeuropaawards.eu

A TV star. A cultural icon. Bugs Bunny turns 84 today 🎂🐰

Learn a few facts about the world’s most popular rabbit and intellectual property (IP):

🎞️ Bugs Bunny was introduced to the world with the release of ‘A wild hare’ short animated movie in July 1940. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short.

🥕 The famous ‘What’s up, Doc’ is not an EU trade mark, but its variation used in ‘Space Jam’ (’What’s up, Jock’) was registered in 1996.

™️ all ‘Looney Tunes’ characters (Elmer, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Sylvester, Tweety...)are registered EU trade marks for a wide variety of products ranging from cosmetics to jewelry, clothes, toys or costumes.

®️ Warner Bros. invests massively on IP protection. The company owns more than 500 EU trade marks (416 word marks, 83 figurative and 3 3D shape marks).

Take a look back at the history of the Olympic Games through its unique collection of official posters, registered as trade marks.

Registering old posters as trade marks is a strategic move from the International Olympic Committee to protect the artistic and commercial value they hold, while preserving the event’s rich historic legacy.

IP protection also ensures that the creator's original expressions are safeguarded against unauthorised use, helping to maintain the uniqueness and integrity of their work.

Looking for some summer holiday reading? If you are as much into intellectual property (IP) as we are, we are sure you will enjoy these book recommendations:

📙 A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects, edited by Claudy Op den Kamp and Dan Hunter, is vibrant history of IP through the 'Mona Lisa', Champagne, the botte of Coca-Cola, and many other 'objects'. It highlights the importance of IP and how it has evolved in history.

📙 'The Routledge Handbook of EU Copyright Law' by Eleonora Rosati. It analyses key trends and patterns in the evolution of EU copyright, weighing benefits and disadvantages.

📙 'Bound by Law? Tales from the Public Domain', by James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins, and Keith Aoki. It tells the story of Akiko, a film-maker who struggles with applying the 'fair use doctrine' while making a documentary film.

📙 'On Design of the 20th Century', by Charlotte Fiell and Peter Fiell, features countless works from all over the world. An essential compendium for design aficionados everywhere.

📙 'Bauhaus Women: Art, Handicraft, Design' by Ulrike Muller. It features women painters, photographers, architects, sculptors, and designers of the vanguard Bauhaus School who helped shape the cultural history of the twentieth century.

📙 'Object to project. Giorgetti design since 1898', by Francesca Molteni and Cristina Colli. Italians are great mechanical, furniture and cultural engineers, capable of putting together manufacturing expertise with the creative eye of great culture.

📙 'Who Owns the News? A History of Copyright', by Will Slauter. A journey through the intertwined histories of journalism and copyright law, revealing how shifts in technology, government policy, and publishing strategy have shaped the media landscape.

📙 'Essential Guide to Intellectual Property' by Aram Sinnreich. A broad introduction to the changing roles of intellectual property within society.

📙 'Burning the Ships: Transforming Your Company's Culture Through Intellectual Property Strategy' by David Kline and Marshall Phelps. A behind-the-scenes story of how Phelps overcame internal resistance and got Microsoft to open up channels of collaboration with other firms.

📙 'Einstein in the Boardroom' by Patrick H. Sullivan and Suzanne S. Harrison. Moving Beyond Intellectual Capital to I-Stuff.

Any more recommendations? Type them in the comments. Happy reading!

European Union Intellectual Property Office - EUIPO The IP Office of the EU. Protecting trade marks and designs.

Can intellectual property (IP) help tourist destinations thrive?

Many countries, regions or cities use IP rights to preserve their uniqueness in their quest to stand out from competitors.

One way of doing it is by registering their slogans as trade marks. See for yourself⤵️

📣 The EUIPO is hiring! Check out our open positions:

🔹 Head of Service (AD 9)
🔹 Head of Linguistics and Publication Service (AD 9)
🔹 Head of Wellbeing Service (AD 9)
🔹 Head of Budget and Accounting Service (AD 9)
🔹 Head of Communities and Consistent Practices Service (AD 9)

Apply through our vacancies page: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/about-us/the-office/who-we-are/employer-of-choice/vacancies

Deadline for applications: 22/07/2024

On World Rock Day, we look back on legendary rock band KISS 🎸and their original use of intellectual property.

Did you know that they own trade marks for each of their members’ stage make-up?

The Demon, the Catman, the Spaceman, and the Starchild make-up designs are all registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Five decades on from the first time they showed their face paint on a stage show, their looks remain as unique as ever.

Throwback Thursday to one of the most influential video games of all time.

Created and developed in the Soviet Union, Tetris was first launched on 6 June 1984. A licensing deal allowed Nintendo to package Tetris with their Game Boy – a decision regarded as one of the best moves ever made in the history of gaming.

Exactly 40 years on from its creation, Tetris has grown into a cultural icon – thanks to continuous innovation that has allowed the brand to stay relevant throughout time.

Today, the game name and its iconic theme song are registered EU trade marks.

4 remaining teams 👕👕👕👕. 1 trophy 🏆. And plenty of intellectual property (IP).

As we enter the semifinals of the EURO 2024, check out how much IP there is in this tournament:

™️ The English Football Association tops the ranking of national football associations with most registered EU trade marks (20 in total), followed by Spain and Portugal.

⚽️ Mbappé is a superstar of football and IP. He owns 7 EU trade marks, including his famous quote "Le football, il a changé". Cristiano Ronaldo follows with 6 EU trade marks.

🥅 Two goal celebration poses are registered as EU trade marks: Mbappé’s and Jude Bellingham’s.

🏆 UEFA holds numerous IP rights for the Euro 2024, including trade marks for the mascot, the logo and the trophy’s 3D shape. The official ball is protected by design rights.

Happy World Chocolate Day! 🍫

The world’s most iconic chocolate companies have their names, logos, and slogans registered as EU trade marks… But did you know that many of them have also registered designs with the EUIPO?

From the shape of a Cadbury chocolate bar to the wrapping on a Lindt reindeer, brands have harnessed the power of design rights to protect the unique look of their products.

IP is everywhere – even in our sweet treats!

Need to explain intellectual property (IP) in plain words? Try our IP Teaching Kit.

It covers from trade mark to copyright basics, combining theory with practical examples.

With speaker notes and background info to help you deliver your lecture or presentation: https://euipo.europa.eu/knowledge/course/view.php?id=1738

European Union Intellectual Property Office - EUIPO The IP Office of the EU. Protecting trade marks and designs.

Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Swiatek, Sakkari... Who will win Wimbledon 🍓 this year?

Find here some curiosities about The Championships, tennis and intellectual property (IP):

🏆 Wimbledon is the oldest tennis competition in the world and one of the most active when it comes to IP. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Ltd has filed 13 EU trade marks since 1996.

™️ Maria Sakkari and Novak Djokovic are the most IP-protected players. They own 4 EU trade marks each.

🥎 Trade marks are also present in the brands of the balls and of the players’ outfits.

🎾 Design rights protect the look and feel of the rackets, the clothes and footwear worn by the players.

📸 All the creative work we see from photographers and video producers is protected by copyright.

💡 Patents protect innovations in the tennis field, such as the net sensors or the hawk-eye.

Love is love ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜.

Our headquarters light up in the colours of the rainbow flag to mark International Pride Day 2024.

🇮🇹 Murano glass
🇩🇪 Solingen cutlery
🇵🇱 Boleslawiec pottery

Did you know that Craft and industrial products will soon be granted EU-wide protection as geographical indications (GIs)?

This will help producers enhance the reputation and visibility of their goods for the benefit of consumers. Learn more about GIs in our dedicated hub: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/gi-hub

It’s summertime at the EUIPO campus! 🌞 🌺 🌼

Did you know that our campus gardens host over 30 different plant species? Protecting and promoting local biodiversity is part of our commitment to becoming a more sustainable organisation.

It's Yellow Day! 💛 Or, in other words, the happiest day of the year 😃

What feelings does the yellow colour bring to you? To many people, it represents joy, happiness, good vibes...

No wonder why many famous brands ranging from stationery to home furniture or fast food restaurants choose this colour for their corporate logos.

Did you know that you can register a shade of yellow or any other colour as a trade mark? A famous example is the iconic Post-it ® yellow, registered as a colour mark at the EUIPO.

Buying genuine products also means supporting local economies.

The European Network of Authenticities helps municipalities combat the sale of fakes through the sharing of best practices, while protecting local trade and brands.

The 16 cities that are part of the network commit to protecting their businesses from counterfeiting, while educating consumers on the importance of choosing authentic products over fake ones.

Learn about this EUIPO-led project: https://authenti-city.eu/project

⚽️ "Le football, il a changé." Heard this sentence before? It is one of Kylian Mbappe's most famous quotes – and a registered trade mark.

The French celebrity owns seven trade marks in the EU, including his goal celebration pose, his name and the logo of his company.

Mbappe is already one of the world's most IP-protected football players, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Vinicius Jr.