site.bta Patent Office: Similarity Tool for Comparison of Goods/Services Available Online

The Patent Office of Bulgaria has announced that the Similarity Tool for the assessment of similarity of goods and services is now available online.

Since the creation of the EU Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) in 2011, Intellectual Property Offices (IPOs) of EU Member States, referred to collectively as IPOs, and consumer associations have been actively collaborating to harmonize practices related to trademarks and designs.

The IPOs, united under the EUIPN, continue their partnership to align practices in the trademark and design fields. They have now agreed on an additional document outlining common practices related to trademarks. It aims to establish common principles for comparing goods and services, particularly regarding the treatment of unclear and imprecise terms, interpreting the criteria of the Canon case and other factors, and providing some examples to illustrate the agreed points.

The document on the Similarity Tool is being publicly announced to increase transparency, legal certainty and predictability for both examining experts and users.

This announcement is part of a joint initiative between BTA and the Patent Office of Bulgaria. The initiative includes a  Created in Bulgaria segment, which highlights both Bulgarians inscribed in the Golden Book of the Patent Office and the activities of the Patent Office.