On December 1-2, 2015 the TM5 (USPTO, JPO, KIPO, OHIM and SAIC) met at the USPTP headquarter to cooperate on common processes and to exchange best practices. The TM5 aim to improve users’ interactions with national trademark offices and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) through projects and activities that aim to minimize bad faith filings, TMview, common status descriptions and ID List, and comparison of examination results and Madrid Protocol procedure.
Minimizing Bad Faith Filings
TM5 partners aim to reduce bad faith trademark filings globally and provide more transparent information to users by exchanging best practices and summarizing them in a report. The next seminar for the TM5 partners will be held in Tokyo, on March 1, 2016.
TMview
The TM5 partners submit their trademark data for the project “User Friendly Access to Trademark Information” which is managed by the designated project leader OHIM. This project, also known as “TMview,” allows a user to access databases from 43 trademark offices (including OHIM, WIPO, USPTO, JPO, and KIPO) with a single search.
Common Status Descriptors and ID List
The TM5 partners, led by the USPTO, are developing “common status descriptors,” or uniform terms and icons that can be used to signify the status of a trademark registration or application. The aim of this project is to make TMview easier to understand for users. The USPTO also leads the project “TM5 ID List” which aims to develop a harmonized global “pick list” of preapproved and pre-classified identifications (IDs) of goods or services and their translations. The ID List is now available online and is fully searchable.
Comparison of Examination Results and Madrid Protocol Procedure
In order to gain a better understanding of the partners’ practices and policies, the TM5 partners are comparing examination results for applications filed using the Madrid Protocol before each of the partners’ offices. The analysis could be useful for users and partner offices in registering applied-for marks. Additionally, a JPO led project aims to standardize information about practices and procedures related to designations under the Madrid System.