This practice note has been drafted to give guidance only. In each case, full consideration must be given to all the relevant factors of the case and each one must be considered on its merits. It is not possible to provide a model or formula which will produce automatically correct answers.
Judgment is required.
In particular circumstances a departure from the normal practice may be justified. A trade mark is distinctive in this sense if it is recognized by a sufficiently large part of the relevant public as a mark. An immediate link between the mark and the applicant is not necessary. The examiner must bear in mind whether the ground for objection exists in the whole of the Community or only part of it. This list of examples is not exhaustive.