RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/Q2/GRC/1
23May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2150)
Original: French/English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION ONTRADEMARKS, GEOGRAPHICAL
INDICATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS
Greece
Thepresent document reproduces theintroductory statement made bythedelegation ofGreece,
thequestion puttoitandtheresponse given inthereview oflegislation ontrademarks, geographical
indications andindustrial designs inthecontext oftheCouncil 'smeeting of11-15 November 19961.
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I. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
Trademarks
TheTrademarks LawNo.2239, which waspassed bytheGreek Parliament andpublished
on16September 1994 consists of6chapters2.
Thefirstchapter contains general provisions likethedefinition ofatrademark, theprocedures
forregistration, therequirements forapplication, etc.
ThesecondchapterdealswiththeAdministrativeTrademarksCommittee(structure,jurisdiction,
operation, etc.)andthelegal actions andmeans totheAdministrative Committee (intervention,
opposition, appeals, registration, licence touse,cancellation, etc.).
Chapter C'describes therights conferred bytrademarks, thelimitations ofprotection andthe
duration ofprotection.
Chapter D'contains thetransfer oftrademarks, theattachment ortheauction saleandcollective
trademarks.
Chapter E'dealswiththelegalactions andmeans, lawsuit ofomission ordamage, provisional
measures, criminal provisions, prosecution andjurisdiction ofthecivilcourts.
Finally, Chapter F'deals withspecific, transitional andfinalprovisions. Inaddition, itdeals
withforeign trademarks, feesandclassification oftrademarks.
./.
1Theminutes ofthismeeting arecontained indocument IP/C/M/11.
2ThetextofthisLawiscontained indocument IP/N/1/GRC/T/1.IP/Q2/GRC/1
Page2
Geographical indications
InGreece, geographical indications aretheresponsibility oftheMinistry ofAgriculture and
aremainly governed bytherelevant Community Regulations (2081/92, 2037/93, 1107/96, 1263/96,
2247/73, 2392/89, 3886/89, 3201/90, 1576/89) andbytheLaws andPresidential Decrees regulating
theconditions andprocedures fortheprotection ofdesignations oforigin andtherecognition ofprotected
indications, which relate primarily toagricultural andfoodproducts. Ministerial decisions, which
form partofthesecondary legislation, protect thenames ofindividual products3.
Industrial designs
Under Law2417/964Greece ratified TheHague Agreement concerning theinternational deposit
ofindustrial designs of6November 1925, asamended atTheHague on28November 1960, andthe
Complementary ActofStockholm of14July1967, asamended atStockholm on28September 1979.
Articles 3and4ofLaw2417/96 contain thenational provisions fortheprotection ofindustrial
designs.
ThedetailedapplicationofLaw2417/96willberegulatedbyPresidentialDecrees.Law2417/96
hasbeeninforce since 3July1996, except fortheprovisions which concern TheHague Agreement
andtheComplementary ActofStockholm, which willenterintoforceaftertheexchange ofinstruments
ofratification inaccordance withtheprovisions ofArticles 26oftheAgreement and9oftheAct.
Thecompetent Greek authority responsible fortheapplication ofthisLawistheIndustrial
Property Organization (OBI).
II. REPLY TOTHE GENERAL QUESTION CONCERNING PRIORITY RIGHTS5
Doesyourcountry recognize arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier trademark application
filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member?
Pursuant toArticle 33oftheGreek Trade Marks Law, ourcountry recognizes theright of
priority which isbased ontheprinciple ofreciprocity which isprovided byaninternational agreement.
Therefore, therightofpriority isrecognized onthebasis ofanearlier trademark application filedin
anyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member according totheAgreement Establishing
theWTO.
3Thelawsandregulations inquestion areenumerated indocument IP/N/1/GRC/1, p.4-6andp.8-28; thetextsofthe
main lawsarecontained indocuments IP/N/1/GRC/G/1-4.
4ThetextofthisLawiscontained indocument IP/N/GRC/D/1.
5Atthemeeting oftheTRIPS Council of11-15 November 1996, Members agreed torespond tothisquestion inthe
context ofthepresent review (document IP/C/M/11, paragraph 43).