| INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK PROTECTION |
| THERE
IS NO SYSTEM AS
YET WHEREIN A SINGLE
TRADEMARK APPLICATION IS SUFFICIENT TO PROTECT
THE TRADEMARK RIGHT
INTERNATIONALLY. BUT ACCORDING TO
PARIS CONVENTION THE MEMBER COUNTRIES
CAN CLAIM PRIORITY OF 6 MONTHS
IN
FILING THE SUBSEQUENT
APPLICATION IN OTHER MEMBER COUNTRIES. YET DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE COMBINED HANDS FOR FILING A SINGLE TRADEMARK APPLICATION TO PROTECT THE TRADEMARK RIGHTS IN THEIR COUNTRIES. THE EUROPEAN UNION CONSISTING OF 25 COUNTRIES HAS ADAPTED THE TRADEMARK SYSTEM WHICH IS CALLED COMMUNITY TRADE MARK ( CTM ) WHEREIN A SINGLE TRADEMARK APPLICATION PROTECTS THE INTEREST OF TRADEMARK IN 25 MEMBER COUNTRIES AND THE BENEFIT OF CTM CAN BE AVAILED BY NON - EUROPEAN UNION AND PRIOR REGISTRATION IS NOT NECESSARY FOR OBTAINING THE REGISTRATION UNDER CTM. SIMILARLY O.A.P.I., A GROUP OF AFRICAN NATIONS HAVE REPLACED THEIR NATIONAL TRADEMARK OFFICE WITH COMMON TRADEMARK OFFICE. |