The Committee considered in depth member states’ legislation and trademark office practice in relation to the registration of three-dimensional marks, color marks and sound marks. Motion marks, position marks, hologram marks, slogans, smell, feel and taste marks will also be included.

With respect to trademark opposition procedures, delegates worked on the grounds of opposition and examined the experience of SCT members with regard to pre-registration or post-registration opposition. Other issues that were addressed in that context include third-party observations made in the course of opposition procedures, cooling off periods allowing for settlement negotiations, as well as member states’ experience with introducing new opposition systems.

With regard to industrial designs, the SCT gave the go-ahead for a comprehensive survey on various industrial design registration systems, which will be conducted in two stages, i.e., first, covering design registration formalities and, later on this year, questions of substantive design law.

Delegates also worked on the enhancement of certain aspects of the procedure for the protection of state emblems and names and abbreviations of international organizations under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.