On 28 February 2018, the European Commission released its draft
withdrawal agreement setting out a proposal on the arrangements for
the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (Withdrawal
Agreement). The full text of the Withdrawal Agreement can
be viewed here:
European Commission's Draft Withdrawal Agreement dated 28
February 2018 (see Title IV on Intellectual Property).
This draft provides rights holders with some insight on the
European Commission's perspective on what the future might look
like for EU trade marks in a post-Brexit UK. At the date of this
article, the UK Government is yet to articulate its own proposal
for the status of these rights post-Brexit.
The Withdrawal Agreement is proposed to take effect on 30 March
2019, being the date on which the UK will formally separate from
the EU. However, the European Commission has acknowledged the UK
Government's request for a 2-year transition period. If this
request is granted, the transition period is expected to
