European politicians are alive to the business of trademarks

While the Community trademark (CTM) system has long been a contentious topic, it is now baking in the heat of political point-scoring by trademark owners, national offices and Eurocrats alike. Germany's Klaus-Heiner Lehne MEP, chair of the European Parliament's legal affairs committee, last week outlined his belief that use in one member state constitutes genuine use and that, although the study into the future of the trademark system is still underway, Parliament would make sure that reform will not weaken the system.