As the transition period agreed to by the European Union and
United Kingdom by virtue of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement came to
an end on the 31st December 2020, the UK is today
considered to be a third-country, as it marks the completion of
Brexit. This has inevitably brought about a multitude of effects
within the legal sphere, notably with respect to EU trademarks
(EUTMs) and the procedures with the European Union Intellectual
Property Office (EUIPO).
As of 1 January 2021, registered EUTMs no longer protect
trademarks in the UK. However, the UK granted all EUTM owners
comparable UK trademarks, such that the same trademark will
continue to be protected in the UK and will enjoy the same
registration details including the same application, registration,
and renewal date. Additionally, for the purpose of the comparable
UK trademark, the registered EUIPO representative will be recorded
as the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO)
representative.
