Czech Republic Implements EU Trademark Directive

The Czech Republic has implemented EU Trademark Directive No. 2015/2436 by way of amending the Czech Trademark Act No. 441/2003, effective as of 1 January 2019. The most important changes can be summarized as follows:

1. Trademarks do not need to be capable of graphic representation in the trademark register.
2. The Czech Industrial Property Office no longer ex officio refuses to register a later application for an identical trademark covering identical goods/services, or a trademark constituting part of an earlier trademark if such may lead to confusion with the earlier one.
3. It is no longer possible to register a trademark for goods/services as a Nice class heading or any other general term if it lacks clarity and precision.