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Something missing?

By Johanna Gibson, David Pearce, Jeremy Phillips and Ilanah Simon.

The Office of Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) has issued a press release to commemorate the grant of its 500,000th Community trade mark. According to the text, in relevant part:

"The European trade marks and designs registration office, OHIM, has registered the 500,000th Community trade mark after enjoying more than a decade of unprecedented demand for Europe-wide protection of intellectual property. ...

The news that the ?half a million mark? has been passed follows confirmation by Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy that the financial success of the Community trade mark means that the cost can be brought down sharply in a move designed to help SMEs in particular.

OHIM President Wubbo de Boer says: ?We are in the fortunate position of offering a service that is very popular with both large and small businesses and which, in general, has seen growing demand.

?Registering our half a millionth Community trade marks is a very important milestone. I would pay tribute both to the vision of those who saw the need for Europe-wide IP protection and to the European and global customers who have put their confidence in us over the years.

?The cost of trade mark protection is a major concern for SMEs in particular, and I am particularly glad that we will be able, by mid-way through next year after the Commission brings forward its proposals, to cut the cost of having a Community trade mark by about 40% to around ?1 000.?

Since 1996, OHIM has registered trade marks ranging from global brand-names to the logos used by small SMEs drawn from most countries in the world. Community trade marks include colours, words, pictures and even sounds".

The IPKat feels there's something missing from this exciting press release, but he can't quite work out what. Merpel says, you fool -- can't you see what's missing? The press release DOESN'T SAY WHAT THE 500,000TH COMMUNITY TRADE MARK IS!!!!!!! Can someone please put these impatient kittens out of their misery and tell them? And can someone please tell the Kats why OHIM might have imagined that anyone would be interested in publishing the news of its 500,000th CTM when the juiciest bit of information was left out? It's vaguely reminiscent of the uninformative and detail-free news items you hear on the BBC Radio ("Last night a person was found dead near at the outskirts of a park in the North of England. A weapon was found near the scene of the incident. A man is helping police with their inquiries ...").

Full post as published by IPKat on November 26, 2008 (boomark / email).