Positive Results for EUIPO's Performance 2018-2022

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has released a report highlighting its main achievements from 2018 to 2022. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions, the EUIPO and IP Offices of the EU Member States have emerged as a stronger force, delivering positive results for EU citizens and businesses.

The report, titled ‘Steady platform for IP and its customers through the storm – preview to the EUIPO’s SP2025 mid-term achievements’, showcases the Office's achievements in, for instance, quality improvements driven by user feedback, the introduction of an Integral Quality Framework, and the launch of customer focus teams, a virtual assistant, and digital tools such as eSearch plus.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the EUIPO helped European SMEs register and exploit their intellectual property rights during 2021. The SME Fund, now a multi-annual support programme backed by the European Commission and Member States IP Offices, helps SMEs with their IP strategy and registration needs. So far, the fund has over 40 000 applications, with 77 % being new to intellectual property.

The report also highlights the EUIPO's progress in creating a one-stop-shop for customers to access a wide range of information, processes, and tools to help them on their IP digital journey. The Office has also made significant progress in empowering its staff and providing platforms and tools, including advanced AI-led technologies needed to excel in the new digital environment.

The EUIPO has fulfilled its mission to improve the IP system and improve customer service. It has also been recognised the world's most innovative IP office four times by the World Trademark Review in 2017, 2018, 2019 and more recently in 2021. In his LinkedIn post, the Executive Director Christian Archambeau underlines that “as we continue to face new challenges in the future, our resilience, innovation, and strong collaboration with our partners and stakeholders will ensure that we weather any storm and continue to build a properly functioning IP system fit for the 21st century that generates IP value for customers and citizens in the EU.”

Source: EUIPO

Editor: IPR Daily-Ann