The Trademark Provisions in the TRIPS Agreement

Intellectual Property and International Trade: TRIPS Agreement (3d ed.) (Carlos M. Correa ed., Wolters Kluwer 2016)

36 Pages Posted: 22 Oct 2019

See all articles by Christine Haight Farley

Christine Haight Farley

American University - Washington College of Law

Irene Calboli

Texas A&M University School of Law; Faculty of Law, University of Geneva; Hanken School of Economics; Singapore University of Social Sciences

Date Written: 2016

Abstract

In this chapter, we outline the provisions introduced by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) with respect to trademarks. Similar to the provisions related to patents, copyright, and other rights, section II of Part II of TRIPS (Articles 15–21) mandates minimal trademark standards – such as requirements for protection, rights granted, duration of protection, and requirements for trademark transactions – for the Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Following the general principles adopted as part of the TRIPS’ framework, section II does not require that WTO Members to adopt specific mechanisms to implement the mandated TRIPS' standards on trademarks into their national laws. Instead, WTO Members remain free to implement the mandated trademark standards based on their existing and/or preferred national laws, subject to the general principles of: (a) national treatment that is provided under Article 3 of TRIPS (specifically dictating equal treatment for, or non-discrimination between, foreign and domestic individuals and companies in their respective territories); and (b) the most-favored-nation treatment under Article 4 of TRIPS (under which any “advantage, favor, privilege, or immunity” granted to the nationals of a WTO Member will be extended to the nationals of other WTO Members). Following the general rule in Article 64 of TRIPS, WTO Members are also empowered to challenge other Members under the WTO Dispute Settlements Understanding (DSU) should they believe that the national laws of the challenged Member violates or does not fully comply with the TRIPS mandated trademark standards.5 Article 1 of TRIPS additionally imposes the compliance of WTO Members with certain provisions on trademarks of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property (Paris Convention).

Keywords: Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), trademark

Suggested Citation

Farley, Christine Haight and Calboli, Irene, The Trademark Provisions in the TRIPS Agreement (2016). Intellectual Property and International Trade: TRIPS Agreement (3d ed.) (Carlos M. Correa ed., Wolters Kluwer 2016), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3471430

Christine Haight Farley (Contact Author)

American University - Washington College of Law ( email )

4300 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States
202-274-4171 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://wcl.american.edu/faculty/farley

Irene Calboli

Texas A&M University School of Law

1515 Commerce St.
Fort Worth, TX Tarrant County 76102
United States

Faculty of Law, University of Geneva ( email )

Geneva
Switzerland

Hanken School of Economics ( email )

Helsinki
Finland

Singapore University of Social Sciences

Singapore
Singapore

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