Reshaping the framework – A study on the functional exclusions for shape marks under the CTMR and EUTMR

This article examines the trade mark protection for non-traditional marks (hereafter: NTMs), with a particular focus on three-dimensional trade marks. Non-traditional trade marks are increasingly being registered at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (hereafter: EUIPO), due to the amendment of Article 4 of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the European Union trade mark (hereafter: EUTMR). With this amendment, the criterion of the graphical representation has been abolished, resulting in the Article has become more aligned to practice.