As has been reported on, the United Kingdom ("UK")
voted to leave the European Union ("EU") in 2016, with
this exit officially occurring on 31 January 2020.
"Brexit" as the exit of the UK from the EU has
become known, has affected businesses and citizens in the EU and
UK, and has also had an impact on trade mark applications and
registrations obtained in the EU and UK prior to
"Brexit".1
Existing EU trade mark registrations in the UK
As from 1 January 2021, EU trade mark applications or
registrations ceased to extend protection to trade marks in the
UK.
The UK Intellectual Property Office ("UKIPO") will
create a comparable UK trade mark for each EU trade mark
registered before 1 January 2021 in order to allow for continuing
trade mark protection in the UK. The UKIPO has indicated that
each comparable UK trade mark registration will be recorded on the
UK trade mark register.
