NOVEMBER 2001
Survey: Western Europe: Courts prepare to decide key issues
Trade mark work in Europe is entering a period of consolidation as applications to OHIM level off. Now, reports James Nurton, Europe’s courts will have to grapple with the complicated issues arising from the Trade Mark Directive
| Austria (total
32) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Sonn Pawloy Weinzinger
& Wolfram |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 2 (4) |
Dr Thomas M
Haffner |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 3 (2) |
Barger & Piso
& Partner |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 4 (-) |
Zeiner &
Zeiner |
Vienna |
|
? |
| 5 (-) |
Puchberger |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 6 (5) |
Patentwalt
Kliment |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 7 (3) |
Patentwaelte Schuetz
& Partners |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 8 (-) |
Stohal &
Kretshchner |
Vienna |
|
? |
| 9 (-) |
Patentanwaltskanzlei
Dipl Ing Franz Matsching |
Vienna |
? |
|
| 10 (-) |
Schonheur Barfuss
Troggler & Partners |
Vienna |
|
? |
| Benelux (total
45) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Markgraaf |
Brussels |
? |
|
| 2 (2) |
Gevers &
Partners |
Brussels |
? |
|
| 3 (4) |
Nauta Dutilh |
Amsterdam |
|
? |
| 4 (3) |
Knijff &
Partners |
Weesp |
? |
|
| 5 (-) |
Vereenigde
Octroibureau |
Amsterdam |
? |
|
| 6 (-) |
Exter Polack &
Charlouis |
Amsterdam |
? |
|
| 7 (-) |
Nederlandsch
Octroibureau |
Amsterdam |
? |
|
| 8 (-) |
Office Van
Malderen |
Brussels |
? |
|
| 9 (-) |
Kirkpatrick
Office |
Brussels |
? |
|
| 10 (-) |
Linklaters/De Brauw
Blackstone |
Amsterdam |
|
? |
| Denmark (total
23) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
| 1 (1) |
Hofman-Bang Zacco |
Copenhagen |
| 2 (2) |
Chas Hude |
Copenhagen |
| 3 (3) |
Budde Schou &
Ostenfeld |
Copenhagen |
| 4 (4) |
Ploughmann Vingtoft
& Partners |
Copenhagen |
| 5 (7) |
International
Patent-Bureau |
Copenhagen |
| 6 (5) |
Larsen &
Birkeholm |
Copenhagen |
| 7 (-) |
Giersing &
Stellinger |
Birkeroed |
| 8 (6) |
Sandel Lose &
Wallberg |
Copenhagen |
| 8 (8) |
Patrade |
Aarhus |
| 9 (-) |
Kromann Reumert |
Copenhagen |
| 10 (-) |
Plesner &
Gronborg |
Copenhagen |
| Finland (total
27) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Kolster Oy |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 2 (2) |
Berggren Oy |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 3 (3) |
Heinonen & Co |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 4 (8) |
Benjon Ltd Seija
Saaristo |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 5 (5) |
Papula Oy |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 6 (6) |
Forssen & Salomaa
Oy |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 7 (4) |
Leitzinger Oy |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 8 (7) |
Roschier-Holmberg
& Waselius |
Helsinki |
|
? |
| 9 (10) |
Seppo Laine Oy |
Helsinki |
? |
|
| 10 (-) |
Borenius &
Kempinnen |
Helsinki |
|
? |
| France (total
63) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Cabinet Beau de
Lomenie |
Paris |
? |
|
| 2 (2) |
Cabinet Lavoix |
Paris |
? |
|
| 3 (5) |
Cabinet Hirsch |
Paris |
? |
? |
| 4 (6) |
Gilbey De Haas -
Advocates |
Paris |
|
? |
| 5 (-) |
Bureau DA
Casalonga-Josse |
Paris |
? |
|
| 6 (3) |
Novamark |
Paris |
? |
|
| 7 (-) |
Cabinet Regimbeau |
Paris |
|
? |
| 8 (-) |
Sodema Conseils |
Paris |
? |
|
| 9 (10) |
Gide |
Paris |
|
? |
| 10 (-) |
Cabinet
Plasseraud |
Paris |
? |
|
| Greece (total
28) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
| 1 (1) |
Theodorides PD &
Papaconstantinou HG |
Athens |
| 2 (2) |
Patrinos &
Kilimiris |
Athens |
| 3 (5) |
Dontas Law
Offices |
Athens |
| 4 (4) |
Vosemberg-Vretos Law
Office |
Athens |
| 5 (-) |
Vayanos
Kostopolous |
Athens |
| 6 (3) |
Margarita
Dalamaga-Kalogirou |
Athens |
| 7 (-) |
Dr DS Oekonomidis
& Partners Law Offices |
Athens |
| 8 (-) |
Ladas & Ladas |
Athens |
| 9 (-) |
John A Sakellarides
European Patent & Trademark
Attorneys |
Athens |
| 10 (-) |
Law Offices Tavlaridis
Tsimikalis & Kalonarou |
Athens |
| Ireland (total
11) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
FR Kelly & Co |
Dublin |
? |
|
| 2 (2) |
Tomkins & Co |
Dublin |
? |
|
| 3 (3) |
MacLachlan &
Donaldson |
Dublin |
? |
|
| 4 (-) |
Cruickshank &
Co |
Dublin |
? |
|
| 5 (5) |
Anne Ryan &
Co |
Dublin |
? |
|
| Italy (total
37) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Jacobacci &
Partners |
Turin |
? |
? |
| 2 (3) |
Ing Barzano &
Zanardo |
Milan |
? |
? |
| 3 (2) |
Societa Italianna
Brevetti |
Rome |
? |
? |
| 4 (8) |
Dr Modiano &
Associati |
Milan |
? |
? |
| 5 (4) |
Bugnion SPA |
Milan |
? |
? |
| 6 (7) |
Racheli & C |
Milan |
? |
? |
| 7 (5) |
Studio Torta |
Turin |
? |
? |
| 6 (6) |
Fiamenghi-Fiamenghi |
Rome |
? |
? |
| 9 (-) |
Trevisan &
Cuonzo |
Milan |
? |
? |
| 10 (-) |
Giambrocono |
Rome |
? |
? |
| Norway (total
17) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
| 1 (2) |
Bryns Zacco |
Oslo |
| 2 (1) |
Bryn &
Aarflot |
Oslo |
| 3 (5) |
Onsagers |
Oslo |
| 4 (7) |
Actio Lassen |
Bergen |
| 5 (6) |
Bergen
Patentkontor |
Bergen |
| 6 (3) |
Oslo Patentkontor |
Oslo |
| 7 (-) |
Hamso Patentbyra |
Sandnes |
| 8 (-) |
Tandbergs
Patentkontor |
Oslo |
| 9 (8) |
JK Thorsens
Patentbureau |
Oslo |
| 10 (9) |
Thommessen &
Krefting Greve Lund |
Oslo |
| Portugal (total
20) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
J Pereira Da Cruz |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 2 (2) |
Clarke Modet &
Co |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 3 (3) |
AG de Cuhna
Ferreira |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 4 (4) |
Raul Cesar
Ferreira |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 5 (-) |
JE Dias Costa |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 6 (-) |
Gastao de Cunha
Ferreira |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 7 (-) |
Cabrel Cunha Ferreira
& Associados |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 8 (-) |
Alexandra Bobone |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| 9 (5) |
PLMJ - AM Pereira et
al |
Lisbon |
|
? |
| 10 (-) |
Francisco de
Novaes |
Lisbon |
? |
|
| Spain (total
38) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Elzaburu |
Madrid |
? |
|
| 2 (4) |
Clarke Modet &
Co |
Madrid |
? |
|
| 3 (3) |
Ungria Patentes y
Marcas |
Madrid |
? |
|
| 4 (6) |
Gomez-Acebo &
Pombo |
Madrid |
|
? |
| 5 (2) |
Duran-Corretjer |
Barcelona |
? |
|
| 6 (7) |
Herrero &
Asociados |
Madrid |
|
? |
| 7 (9) |
J Isern Patentes Y
Marcas |
Barcelona |
? |
|
| 8 (5) |
Dr Ing M Curell
Sunol |
Madrid |
? |
|
| 9 (-) |
Jacobacci &
Partners |
Madrid |
? |
|
| 10 (-) |
Carlos Polo |
Madrid |
? |
|
| Sweden
(total) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Albihns |
Stockholm |
? |
? |
| 2 (2) |
Awapatent |
Stockholm |
? |
? |
| 3 (3) |
AB Stockhoms
Zacco |
Stockholm |
? |
|
| 4 (4) |
LA Groth |
Stockholm |
? |
|
| 5 (5) |
Dr Ludwig Brann
Patentbyra |
Stockholm |
? |
|
| 6 (-) |
Nihlmarks
Advokatbyra |
Stockholm |
|
? |
| 7 (7) |
Strom &
Gulliksson |
Stockholm |
? |
? |
| 8 (6) |
Bergenstrahle &
Lindvall |
Stockholm |
|
? |
| 9 (-) |
Hansson Thyresson
Patentbyra |
Stockholm |
? |
|
| 10 (-) |
Magnusson Wahlin |
Stockholm |
|
? |
| Switzerland (total
52) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (2) |
AW Metz & Co |
Zurich |
? |
|
| 2 (2) |
E Blum & Co |
Zurich |
? |
|
| 3 (3) |
Isler &
Pedrazzini |
Zurich |
? |
|
| 4 (-) |
A Braun, Heritier
Patent Attorneys |
Geneva |
? |
|
| 5 (5) |
Bugnion |
Geneva |
? |
|
| 6 (4) |
Kirker & Co |
Geneva |
? |
|
| 7 (-) |
Bovard Ltd |
Bern |
? |
|
| 8 (-) |
RA Egli & Co,
Patent Attorneys |
Zurich |
? |
|
| 9 (-) |
Katzarov |
Geneva |
? |
|
| 10 (-) |
Hug Interlienz |
Zurich |
? |
|
| UK Law Firms (total
25) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (2) |
Bird & Bird |
London |
|
? |
| 2 (1) |
Linklaters |
London |
? |
? |
| 3 (4) |
Bristows |
London |
|
? |
| 4 (3) |
Eversheds |
London |
|
? |
| 5 (8) |
Clifford Chance |
London |
? |
? |
| 6 (6) |
Simmons &
Simmons |
London |
|
? |
| 7 (5) |
Taylor Joynson
Garrett |
London |
|
? |
| 8 (-) |
Willoughby &
Partners/Rouse & Co
International |
London |
? |
? |
| 9 (7) |
Field Fisher
Waterhouse |
London |
? |
? |
| 10 (-) |
SJ Berwin |
London |
|
? |
| UK Agencies (total
61) |
| Rank |
Firm |
City |
A |
L |
| 1 (1) |
Marks & Clerk |
London |
? |
? |
| 2 (7) |
Boult Wade
Tennant |
London |
? |
|
| 3 (5) |
Frank B Dehn &
Co |
London |
? |
|
| 4 (-) |
Kilburn &
Strode |
London |
? |
|
| 5 (-) |
Gill Jennings &
Every |
London |
? |
|
| 6 (4) |
Jenkins |
London |
? |
|
| 7 (3) |
TMOA |
London |
? |
|
| 8 (-) |
Withers &
Rogers |
London |
? |
|
| 9 (2) |
Castles |
Croydon |
? |
|
| 10 (10) |
Reddie &
Grose |
London |
? |
|
|
One of the most important landmarks in the history of European
trade mark law took place on September 20. The European Court of
Justice (ECJ), the ultimate court in the European Union, delivered
its judgment in a case brought by Procter & Gamble over its
application for a Community Trade Mark for "Baby-Dry" on nappies.
(For a detailed discussion of the case, see
The ECJ rescues descriptive marks.) Although the ECJ has ruled
on many trade mark and related unfair competition cases in the
past, this was the first time it had considered an appeal arising
form a decision from the Community Trade Mark Office (OHIM). But it
will not be the last.
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