Poland - Overview

1.

Legislation on Trademarks

1.1

International legislation

1.2

National legislation

1.2.1

Trademark law

1.2.2

Unfair Competition Law

2.

Protected Signs

2.1

Registered signs

2.2

Unregistered signs

2.3

Company names/Trade names

3.

Registration of Trademarks

3.1

Owner

3.2

Trademark

3.3

Goods and services

3.4

Priority

3.5

Absolute grounds for refusal

3.5.1

Distinctive character

3.5.2

Secondary meaning

3.5.3

Other absolute grounds for refusal

3.6

Relative grounds for refusal

3.7

Term of protection

3.8

Fees

3.9

Remedies

3.10

Flowchart: Registration proceedings

4.

Enforcement

4.1

Scope of Protection

4.1.1

Use of a trademark

4.1.2

Identity of signs and goods/services

4.1.3

Likelihood of confusion

4.1.4

Trademarks having reputation

4.1.5

Commonly known marks

4.1.6

Unregistered signs/trade names

4.2

Limitations of trademark rights

4.2.1

Own name defence

4.2.2

Prior user

4.2.3

Descriptive use

4.2.4

Referential use

4.2.5

Exhaustion

4.2.6

Trademark registered in the name of an agent or representative

4.3

Claims for trademark infringement

4.3.1

Persons authorised to raise claims

4.3.2

Injunction

4.3.3

Removal/Destruction

4.3.4

Surrender of the unlawfully obtained profits

4.3.5

Indemnity claims

4.3.6

Publication of judgement

4.3.7

Statute of limitation

4.4

Defences

4.5

Infringement Proceedings

4.5.1

Civil Proceedings

4.5.1.1

General rules

4.5.1.2

Preliminary injunction

4.5.2

Criminal Proceedings

4.5.3

Border detention measures

5.

Loss of Protection

5.1

Objection

5.2

Annulment and Expiration

5.2.1

Annulment

5.2.2

Expiration

5.2.2.1

Waiver

5.2.2.2

Non-use

5.2.2.3

Other reasons

5.3

Annulment and expiration proceedings

5.4

Acquiescence

6.

Licences

7.

Pledge/usufruct

8.

Assignment

9.

Changes of name and address

10.

Representation

10.1

Patent Office

10.2

Courts

10.2.1

Civil courts

10.2.2

Administrative courts

10.2.3

Criminal courts