Source: http://www.iclg.co.uk/practice-areas/trade-marks/trade-marks-2016/liechtenstein
Timestamp: 2016-12-03 11:38:03
Document Index: 117871167

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art 1', 'Art 1', 'Art. 5', 'Art 17', 'Art 20', 'Art 32']

Liechtenstein - Trade Marks 2016 · ICLG - International Comparative Legal Guides
Home Practice area Trade Marks Trade Marks 2016 Liechtenstein
Relevant national legislation for registered trademarks encompass the following acts:
Law on the Protection of Trademarks and Indication of Source (Trademark Act; Markenschutzgesetz);
Regulation on the Protection of Trademarks and Indication of Source (Trademark Regulation; Markenschutzverordnung);
Regulation on Levying of Fees under the Trademark Law
Due to Liechtenstein’s membership in the EEA, the EU Trademark Directive 2008/95/EC and the pertaining case law of the ECJ is to be observed as well.
Pursuant to Art 1 Trademark Act, a trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises. In particular, words, letters, numerals, graphic representations, three-dimensional shapes or combinations thereof or with colours can constitute trademarks.
In Liechtenstein the following types of trade marks may be registered: word marks; figurative marks; three-dimensional marks; colour marks; acoustic marks; movement or effect marks; position marks; or combinations thereof. Currently, the following are not registerable: olfactory- and taste marks; haptic marks; and concept marks.
the sign does not meet the definition of a trademark (e.g. is not capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises; Art 1 Trademark Act);
The application to register a trademark has to comprise
the graphic representation of the trademark (see question 2.5); and
a list of all goods and services, in respect of which the trademark shall be registered.
If priority of a foreign trademark is claimed, the applicant is to enclose a priority document. Furthermore, the confirmation of payment of the application fees has to be enclosed.
Upon filing of the application, the DEA will review the application and the submitted documents. If the application or the accompanying documents are incomplete or defective, the DEA may request further documents or an amendment of the application within a reasonable time period.
For the registration of word marks with a special font, figurative marks or combined marks, three black and white copies must be submitted, whereas the borders of the trademark shall fit into a square with a side length of 80 mm.
If a three-dimensional trademark shall be registered, the three-dimensional character of the trademark shall be evident from the representation.
The list of goods and services is to be drafted according to the terminology and the order of the Nice Agreement. The use of both class headings and specific terms as well as a combination thereof is admissible.
Every person or legal entity with legal capacity is capable of owning a trademark. Since the exploitation of IP rights such a trademarks is an admissible purpose of a protected cell company (PCC), a trademark may also be part of the assets of a PCC cell.
The registration procedure is quite fast since an opposition proceeding does not exist. It takes approximately three months upon filing of the complete application.
The registration fee is CHF 400 and covers the registration of up to three classes of goods or services. The registration fee for each additional class is CHF 50. 2.12 Is there more than one route to obtaining a registration in your jurisdiction?
A POA has to be submitted only if so requested by the DEA. Attorneys may invoke proper authorisation without submitting a POA.
Firstly, priority is determined by the filing date of the application (first to file principle). The application is to comprise all documents mentioned in question 2.3 and comply with all formal requirements to convey priority. For instance a non-German list of goods and services is not admissible, hence submission of such a defective document would not trigger the priority date.
Excluded from trademark protection are (absolute grounds for refusal):
Signs in the public domain may be protected as trademarks upon showing of secondary meaning. Other absolute grounds for refusal cannot be rebutted.
Decisions of the DEA may be appealed to the Liechtenstein Government. Decisions of the Liechtenstein Government may be contested by an application for reconsideration (Vorstellung) which is handled by the same instance or by appeal to the Administrative Court which is the highest regular instance in matters of administrative law.
are identical to an earlier trademark registered for the same goods or services as the younger sign;
Pursuant to Art. 5 Trademark Act, the rights vested with a trademark commence from registration date. However, priority is determined as described in question 2.15.
The term of protection of the trademark is 10 years and may repeatedly be extended for further 10-year periods.
Trademark protection may be extended by an application for extension. The formal requirements are quite similar to the initial application: the applicant is to file a signed application and pay the extension fees, which are currently the same as for the initial registration, thus CHF 400 base fee and CHF 50 class fee.
The application for extension is only admissible within 12 months before and six months after the expiration of the previous protection term. In case the extension is applied for within six months after the end of the previous term, there is an additional fee of CHF 100.
Pursuant to Art 17 Trademark Act, the owner of a trademark may assign a trademark in whole or in part (only for specific goods and services), without having to transfer an existing undertaking. The assignment needs to be in writing and may only be invoked as against third parties if registered with the DEA.
The licence may be registered. The application may be filed by the licensor or the licensee and has to comprise a declaration of the owner confirming the licence. In case of an exclusive licence, this fact may be registered as well. The fees are the same as for the assignment of a trademark.
Licence agreements exist in various shapes as to the licensed marks, goods and services, territories, royalty clauses. However, the predominant distinction is between exclusive licences and simple (non-exclusive) licences. The same applies to sub-licences.
Only an exclusive licensee has active standing in Liechtenstein Courts to independently bring a civil action for infringement unless this is explicitly excluded in the licence agreement. However, all licensees (exclusive or non-exclusive) may join an infringement action to claim their own damages. 7.6 Are quality control clauses necessary in a licence?
Quality control clauses are basically only necessary for certification marks. However, in order to prevent a licensee from using a trademark for goods or services of minor quality and thus diminish the value of a trademark, quality control clauses are generally recommended.
Pursuant to Art 20 Trademark Act, a trademark may be subject to a pledge agreement and registered with a declaration of the trademark owner. A security interest might also established through an assignment by way of security, where the creditor becomes the owner of the trademark, but holds it in trust for the debtor.
See question 7.7.
Under Liechtenstein Law revocation is not a separate grounds for the cancellation of a trademark besides the declaration of invalidity by a court decision.
Pursuant to Art 32 Trademark Act, a trademark is to be revoked/removed from the trademark register in whole or in part if the trademark owner himself requests cancellation, the protection term expires without extension, or the trademark is declared invalid by a court decision.
cancellation on request by the owner – owner has active standing;
cancellation due to expiration – ex officio, owner is party; or
cancellation due to court decision – plaintiff or cancellation upon court order.
For the petition to the Constitutional Court see question 3.4.
The owner or an exclusive licensee of a trademark may file a law suit with the Princely District Court seeking several kinds of reliefs as referred to in question 12.1.
Compulsory pre-trial procedures do not exist. After filing of the lawsuit, the defendant is to submit a counterstatement. Subsequently oral hearings are scheduled in a timely manner. A separate trial stage does not exist.
Both preliminary and permanent injunctions are available to prevent present or imminent/future infringements. Moreover, the Court can order measures for the preservation of evidence, determination of the origin of infringing goods, preservation of the present state or preliminarily enforce injunctions.
In any case, the plaintiff has to establish or, for preliminary measures, produce prima facia evidence of infringement.
The rules and possibilities for discovery according to the Liechtenstein Code of Civil Procedure are very limited. The Court may order the infringer to produce documents. However, such an order may not be enforced but only considered during the assessment of evidence.
Direct and cross-examination is conducted in the interrogation of witnesses and parties during trial.
A stay of an infringement proceeding pending a declaratory judgment action for invalidity is possible. An opposition or inter-partes proceeding for cancellation before the DEA does not exist. Since all disputes after registration of a trademark are concentrated in the Courts another possibility is the joinder of two proceedings on infringement and invalidity to one single proceeding.
The applicable statute of limitations period depends on the asserted claim. Not subject to preclusion are declaratory judgment actions for invalidity or infringement and injunctions against infringements. Damages claims are time-barred after three years from knowledge of the infringement and the infringer. Claims for disgorgement of profits are precluded after 30 years of the date of enrichment.
Various acts of intentional trademark infringement such as usurpation, copying or imitation of a trademark; distribution, importation, exportation, transit, storage, advertisement of infringing goods or services; rejection to disclose the origin and number of infringing goods, the addressee and the number of goods which have already been passed to commercial distributors; fraudulent use of a trademark are subject to criminal liability.
There are various defences against the claim of infringement, such as invalidity of the asserted trademark, non-trademark use, missing identity or likelihood of confusion between the trademarks or goods and services, exhaustion (first-sale doctrine), use of an older unregistered trademark, parody, forfeiture.
The prevailing party is entitled to reimbursement of costs. The amount of costs that is recoverable depends on the success in the proceeding and is calculated according to a quota system. For instance, if the plaintiff is successful with 80% of his claims and thus lost 20%, he is entitled to reimbursement of 60% of the costs (80%-20%).
For the route of appeal see question 9.5. The grounds for appeal are nullity of the decision, errors of fact finding, incorrect transmission of files, procedural errors and incorrect application of material law.
Only registered trademarks are enforceable under the Trademark Act. Unregistered trademarks, trade names, trade dresses may be asserted under the Law against Unfair Trade Practices.
See question 2.8.
The formerly compulsory pre-trial mediation was abolished as of July 2015.
No, there are not. Contributing firm
Schwarzler Attorneys at Law