Since agreement was reached in December on "sufficient
progress" in Phase 1 of the Brexit negotiations (regarding the
terms of withdrawal), little news has been heard about the status
of EU/UK discussions. Officially, Phase 2 of the talks (governing
transitional arrangements and the future relationship) has not yet
begun.
According to a report on the
usually-reliable Politico website, however, negotiations
have continued behind the scenes on various topics which are said
to include Intellectual Property rights.
In September last year the European Commission published a position paper
setting out its wishlist for transitional arrangements for various
European IP rights including designs, trade marks, geographical
indications, and supplementary protection certificates. Both the Chartered Institute of
Patent Attorneys and the Chartered Institute of
Trade Mark Attorneys welcomed the European position as being
broadly aligned with their views. Provided the UK Government
