A day-long meeting, titled The European Trade Mark System in the 21st Century, was hosted by the European People's Party (Christian Democrat) group of MEPs on Wednesday. It featured speakers from trade mark associations, government agencies and brand owners such as LVMH and AT&T.
The EPP is the largest political grouping in the European Parliament, with 271 MEPs.
Topics discussed included the importance of trade marks to the economy, the review of the European trade mark system and the challenge of the internet.
The meeting came as the European Commission prepares to make recommendations on updating the Trade Marks Directive and Community Trade Mark Regulation, following a study and consultation held over the past two years.
Its recommendations are now expected to be published in April.
In a video posted on YouTube to accompany last week's event, French MEP Marielle Gallo described trade mark rights as "extremely important for the European economy".
Annick Mottet Haugaard, president of ECTA, said that her organisation's three priorities for the trade marks reforms were "uniformity, user-friendly and updating" and that members wanted to see "less distortion and less obstacles to everyday business".
MARQUES chair Nunzia Varricchio told Managing IP the meeting was "an opportunity to inform MEPs about what is going on". She said most speakers focused on the study and what they are looking for from the reforms.
The main points emphasised were harmonisation and simplification, as well as the need to address internet-related issues.
In her presentation, Varricchio stressed tackling counterfeiting and supermarket lookalikes, noting "how difficult it is to get off the ground in business if you have these kinds of hurdles to overcome".
She said she believed the economic problems in Europe provided an opportunity to raise such issues: "Now is the time to be doing something. We hope there will be a discussion."
Varricchio specifically called on legislators to address the goods-in-transit issue: "Trade in counterfeit products is a global problem and it has an evident effect on the EU economy. Where the goods land, exit or are eventually sold is secondary. The issue should not be hidden or deflected but reconsidered."
