Procedural reforms are the current hot topic on the French market. Under new rules, cancellation and invalidity proceedings can now be brought before the French Trademark Office, rather than having to be dealt with in court – a change that should speed up the process for law firms and clients alike. With this change comes additional pressure for rights holders to assert their trademarks more regularly, which should encourage many to re-strategise in terms of how they utilise their brands. Additionally, the EU Trademark Directive has recently been implemented into French law, with major implications for brand owners. The changes include the recognition of new types of trademarks, such as sound, animated and multimedia marks.