The CP8 Common Practice on “Use of a mark in a form differing from the one registered” was adopted by the Management Board in May 2020.

The CP8 Common Practice delivers a set of principles and examples on the use of a trade mark in a form differing from the one registered by taking into account the impact of additions, omissions, and modifications of characteristics on the distinctive character of registered word marks, purely figurative marks and composite marks.

A Common Communication document, which includes the CP8 Common Practice and supplementary information, such as the implementation dates for each implementing office, was published on the websites of all IP offices of the European Union on 15 October 2020.

The Common Practice will take effect within three months of the date of publication of the Common Communication, i.e. 15 January 2021. To read the EUIPO’s announcement in full and for a link to the Common Communication, click here.