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SWITZERLAND


SWITZERLAND


million). Furthermore the court considers it noteworthy that the development of Franck Muller watches is of rare complexity, praised by the press as ‘the utmost achievement in the art of watchmaking’. Taking this into consideration the court concludes that Omega watches are not similar to Franck Muller Mega watches and therefore there is no risk of confusion or dilution.


On May 23, 2011, the Federal Administrative Tribunal decided on the registrability of smell and flavour marks. To be decided was the application of a mark for the smell of roasted almonds. In addition to the description (smell of roasted almonds) the applicant filed a recipe for the preparation of the respective smell. Te Federal Administrative Tribunal decided that in principle smell and flavour marks can be registered as marks. For the time being, however, smells cannot be depicted graphically in an objective and precise way.


I would like to finish this article with some cases rendered by the Federal Administrative Tribunal in 2011 and 2012 on applications of marks with a potentially geographical meaning. Te national applications for the trademarks ‘Wilson’ for goods in class 34, ‘Savannah’ for goods in class 24 as well as the international registrations for the trademarks ‘Frankonia’ for services in class 35 and ‘Gerresheimer’ for goods and services in classes 9, 10, 20, 21 and 42 were all refused by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property for being descriptive, as they contained a direct reference to the origin of the goods, and for being misleading for other goods, for lack of distinctiveness, for belonging to the general domain and/or for the need to keep this marks free for the trade.


Wilson is (among others) a small town in North Carolina, US, with 50,000 inhabitants, located in an important tobacco-producing area, Savannah is a town in Georgia, US, with 130,000 inhabitants, Frankonia is close to the English, Italian and French names of a geographical region in Germany (Franconia and Franconie, respectively) and Gerresheimer is a quarter of the town of Düsseldorf in Germany. In all four cases the Federal Administrative Tribunal ordered the Swiss Federal Institute of IP to register the marks.


Te institute is very strict and oſten refuses the registration of marks, if they may have or contain a geographical meaning. It is a positive sign that the courts are becoming more flexible and it is advisable to have a close look at a possible appeal against a negative decision of the institute.


Jürg Burger is counsel with Badertscher Rechtsanwälte AG. He can be contacted at: burger@b-legal.ch


106 World Intellectual Property Review e-Digest 2013


THE INSTITUTE IS VERY STRICT AND OFTEN REFUSES THE REGISTRATION OF MARKS, IF THEY MAY HAVE OR CONTAIN A GEOGRAPHICAL MEANING.


Jürg Burger is a Swiss attorney focusing on all aspects of trademark law. He advises small and medium sized enterprises as well as multinational corporations on the acquisition, protection and enforcement of trademark rights.


www.worldipreview.com


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