Legal aspects of green-branding
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15290/eejtr.2022.06.02.05Keywords:
trademark, green, eco, bio, absolute grounds for refusal, greenwashingAbstract
Trade mark law reflects economic and social trends. With the shift towards an economy based on sustainable development, the rise of environmental awareness among consumers, and the growing popularity of eco-marketing, marks containing indications such as „green”, „eco” or „bio” appear increasingly on the market. Such labels can inform and assist consumers in purchasing products that comply with the eco-requirements, strengthen the competitiveness of producers by promoting the least environmentally damaging products, offering higher quality products, and consequently encouraging both parties to act in an eco-friendly manner. Their registration is possible, but more difficult than for „classic trade marks” submitted for protection before the patent offices. This text is intended to provide an overview of the registration requirements of so-called „green trade marks”. The study mainly used the formal-dogmatic method. Based on an analysis of the European Union Intellectual Property Office practice and the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union, authors indicate the applicable interpretation of EU trade mark law. They analyze binding restrictions taking into account the interests of both individual market players and the public. This issue has not yet been commented on by the doctrine. Eco-labels and symbols, which can be used by entities meeting criteria that are defined by certification bodies are outside the scope of this review.
Downloads
References
Bararossa, C. & Pastore A. (2015). Why environmentally conscious consumers do not purchase green products: A cognitive mapping approach. Qual. Mark. Res. Int. J., 18, 188-209. https://doi.org/10.1108/qmr-06-2012-0030.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘The European Green Deal’. COM (2019) 640 final. (2019, December). Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52019DC0640.
Cybulka, A. (2022). Zielone znaki towarowe – nowe trendy na rynku. Rzeczpospolita, 13.10.2022. Retrieved from https://www.rp.pl/abc-firmy/art37227671-zielone-znaki-towarowe-nowe-trendy-na-rynku.
Deloitte (2021). Climate Sentiment Index. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ce/Documents/about-deloitte/ce-climate-sentiment-index.pdf.
European Commission. (2021, January). Screening of websites for ‘greenwashing': half of green claims lack evidence. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_269.
European Commission. (2022, March). Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition and annex. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/proposal-empowering-consumer-green-transition-and-annex_en.
European Union Intellectual Property Office. (2021). Green EU trade marks. Analysis of goods and services specifications, 1996-2020. Retrieved fromhttps://euipo.europa.eu/tunnel-web/secure/webdav/guest/document_library/observatory/documents/reports/2021_Green_EU_trade_marks/2021_Green_EU_trade_marks_FullR_en.pdf.
European Union Intellectual Property Office. (2022a). Green with… IP, Retrieved from https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/web/guest/-/green-with-ip?inheritRedirect=true&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Feuipo.europa.eu%2Fohimportal%2Fen%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fsearch%3Fp_p_id%3Dcom_liferay_portal_search_web_portlet_SearchPortlet%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26_com_liferay_portal_search_web_portlet_SearchPortlet_keywords%3D9135001.
European Union Intellectual Property Office. (2022b). Trade mark guidelines, Retrieved from https://guidelines.euipo.europa.eu/1935303/1952503/trade-mark-guidelines/1-general-remarks.
European Union Intellectual Property Office. (2022c). Trade mark guidelines. Retrieved from https://guidelines.euipo.europa.eu/1935303/2047072/trade-mark-guidelines/1-1-the-notion-of-descriptiveness.
European Union Intellectual Property Office. (2022d). Trade mark guidelines. Retrieved from https://guidelines.euipo.europa.eu/1935303/2044575/trade-mark-guidelines/1-examination-of-the-deceptive-character.
Ferrero Guillen, R. (2022). Joint report on the online workshop Trade Mark Law and Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3975286.
Fromlowitz P. & von Bargen N. (March 2021). Green brands: how trademark law can promote sustainable business practices. Retrieved from https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/article/green-brands-how-trademark-law-can-promote-sustainable-business-practices.
General Assembly of United Nations. (2022). Resolution no. A/RES/76/300. Retrieved from https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/442/77/PDF/N2244277.pdf?OpenElement.
Hirschmann, J. & Block, J.H. (2022). Trademarks and how they relate to the sustainability and economic outcomes of social startups. Journal of cleaner production, 376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134320.
Judgment of 29 April 2004, C-468/01 (Procter & Gamble - tablets for washing machines), ECLI:EU:C:2004:259.
Judgment of 21 October 2004, C 64/02 P (Das Prinzip der Bequemlichkeit), EU:C:2004:645.
Judgment of 08 May 2008, C 304/06 P (Eurohypo), EU:C:2008:261.
Judgment of 21 January 2010, C 398/08 P (Vorsprung durch Technik), EU:C:2010:29.
Judgment of 12 July 2012, C 311/11 P (Wir machen das Besondere einfach), EU:C:2012:460.
Judgment of 03 July 2003, T-122/01 (Best Buy), EU:T:2003:183.
Judgment of 22 June 1999, C-342/97 (Lloyd Schuhfabrik Meyer), ECLI:EU:C:1999:323.
Judgment of 05 March 2003, T-194/01 (Soap device), EU: T: 2003: 53.
Judgment of 03 December 2003, T-305/02 (Bottle), EU: T: 2003: 328.
Judgment of 20 July 2004, T-311/02 (Limo), EU:T:2004:245.
Judgment of 30 November 2004, T-173/03 (Nurseryroom), EU:T:2004:347.
Judgment of 26 October 2000, T-345/99 (Trustedlink), EU:T:2000:246.
Judgment of 4 May 1999 Joined cases C-108/97 and C-109/97. (Windsurfing Chiemsee Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH (WSC) v Boots- und Segelzubehör Walter Huber and Franz Attenberger. References for a preliminary ruling: Landgericht München I – Germany, ECLI:EU:C:1999:230.
Judgment of 23 October 2003, C-191/01 (OHIM v. Wrigley), ECLI:EU:C:2003:579.
Judgment of 28 September 2009, R 0186/2009-4 (ECOLOGIC), ECLI:EU:T:2017:295.
Judgment of 24 April 2012, T - 328/11 (EcoPerfect), EU:T:2012:197.
Judgment of 15 January 2013, T-625/11 (EcoDoor), EU:T:2013:14.
Judgment of 10 July.2014, C-126/13 P (EcoDoor), EU:C:2014:2065.
Judgment of 11 April 2013, T-294/10 (Carbon green), EU:T:2013:165.
Judgment of 27 February 2015, T-106/14 (Greenworld), EU:T:2015:123.
Judgment of 5 June 2019, T–229/18 (Biolatte), ECLI:EU:T:2019:375.
Judgment of 13 July 2022, T-641/21 (BioMarkt),ECLI:EU:T:2022:446.
Kirchner-Freis I., Kirchne A. (2013). Legal Aspects of Green Trademarks. In A.Kirchner, I. Kirchner-Freis (Eds), Green Innovations and IPR Management (chpt. 2). Wolters Kluwer.
Lech, M. (2017, April 10). Czy można użyć słowa bio, eko, organic w nazwie firmy lub produktu? Retrieved from https://znakitowarowe-blog.pl/czy-mozna-uzyc-slowa-bio-eko-organic-nazwie-firmy-produktu/.
Melgar, V. (2020, July). Zielone innowacje a znaki towarowe. Kwartalnik UPRP, 2(45), 7-9. Retrieved from https://uprp.gov.pl/sites/default/files/2020-07/2_2020_KWARTALNIK.pdf.
Oxford Learners Dictionaries. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/greenwash.
Promińska, U. (2014). Znaki towarowe i prawo ochronne. In E. Nowińska, U. Promińska, K. Szczepanowska-Kozłowska (Eds), Prawo własności przemysłowej. Legalis.
Szczepanowska-Kozłowska, K. (2017). Bezwzględne przeszkody rejestracji znaku towarowego. In R. Skubisz (Ed.), System Prawa Prywatnego, T. 14B (Prawo własności przemysłowej), Legalis.
The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (2021). EUIPO finds huge rise in ‘green’ trade Marks. Retrieved from https://www.citma.org.uk/resources/euipo-finds-huge-rise-in-green-trade-marks-mb21.html.
Urząd Patentowy RP (2020), Wytyczne w zakresie znaków towarowych, Retrieved from https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/przedmioty-ochrony/ogolne-wytyczne-prezesa-uprp/wytyczne-w-zakresie-znakow-towarowych-/identycznosc-lub-podobienstwo-znakow/niebezpieczenstwo-wprowadzenia-w-blad.
USLEGAL, Green Marketing Law and Legal Definition. Retrieved from https://definitions.uslegal.com/g/green-marketing.
White, K., Hardisty, D.J. & Habib, R. (2019). The Elusive Green Consumer. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2019/07/the-elusive-green-consumer.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Magdalena Rutkowska-Sowa, Paweł Poznański
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
1. The Author declares that he or she has created the written work and holds exclusive and unlimited copyright /both moral and property rights/ and guarantees that no third parties have rights to the work.
2. In the view of the Copyright and Related Rights Act, a work must fulfill the following criterion:
a) be a manifestation of creative work,
b) have an individual character („author’s personal stamp”),
c) have a set form.
3. The Author declares that the text has not been previously published (under the same or different title, or as a part of another publication).
4. The Author allows (grants a non-exclusive license) the publishing house of University of Białystok to use the scholarly text to:
- preserve and multiply by means of any technique; save in a digital form with no limitations as to the manner and form of digital preservation;
- upload online with no limitations as to the place and time of access.
5. The Author grants consent for editorial changes made in the work.
6. The Author grants the University of Białystok rights free of charge for the duration of property copyright with no territory limits. The University has the right to grant sublicenses in the acquired rights.
7. Granting a non-exclusive license allows the Author to preserve their rights and allows other parties to make use of the work according to sublicensing agreement with provisions identical as those of Attribution 4.0 Internacional License (CC BY 4.0), available online at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
8. The Agreement has been concluded for an indefinite period of time.
9. Because of costs born in preparation of the work for publishing, the Parties oblige themselves to act in good faith and refrain from declining to grant licenses.
10. To all matters not settled herein, provisions of the Civil Code and Copyright and Related Rights Act of 1994, February 4 shall apply.
11. All disputes shall be resolved by a court of local jurisdiction for the place of seat of University of Białystok.
