RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/Q2/PRT/1
24October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4651)
Original: English/French Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION ONTRADEMARKS, GEOGRAPHICAL
INDICATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS
Portugal1
ThepresentdocumentreproducesthequestionsputtothedelegationofPortugalandtheresponses
given inthereview oflegislation ontrademarks, geographical indications andindustrial designs at
theCouncil 'smeeting of11-15 November 1996.2
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I. REPLY TOTHE GENERAL QUESTION CONCERNING PRIORITY RIGHTS3
Doesyourcountry recognize arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier trademark application
filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member?
Inourview, thePortuguese reply should beintheaffirmative fortwokinds ofreasons:
Thefirststems from theinterpretation ofArticle 2oftheTRIPS Agreement under which
Members havetocomply withArticles 1through 12,and19,oftheParis Convention (1967) which
includes Article 4providing forpriority rights.
Thesecond isbased onArticle 3,paragraph 4,oftheIndustrial Property Code, whereby
references totheParis Convention include theTRIPS Agreement.
Hence, theintention ofthedrafters ofthenational legislation istoapply theprovisions ofthe
Paris Convention notonlytotheparties tothatConvention butalsototheMembers oftheWTO.
1Asregards lawsandregulations relevant totheareas under review asnotified byPortugal under Article 63.2ofthe
Agreement, reference ismade todocuments IP/N/1/PRT/1; IP/N/1/PRT/C/1; IP/N/1/PRT/I/1 andIP/N/1/PRT/L/1.
2Theminutes ofthemeeting arecontained indocument IP/C/M/11.
3Atthemeeting oftheTRIPS Council of11-15 November 1996, Members agreed torespond tothisquestion inthe
context ofthepresent review (document IP/C/M/11, paragraph 43).IP/Q2/PRT/1
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II. REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYTHE UNITED STATES
1. Please explain whether thenature ofgoods orservices towhich atrademark istobeapplied
canserve asanobstacle totheregistration ofthemark under Portuguese trademark law.Ifso,please
identify andexplain thesubject matter excluded under theauthority, andtherelative provisions ofsuch
lawthatserve asabasis forthese exclusions.
Thenature ofthegoods orservices isnotanobstacle totheregistration ofmarks.
[Follow-up question from theUnited States]
DoesPortugal 'strademark lawplace anyrequirements orconditions onowners ofunregistered
well-known marks whohavebrought anaction against athirdparty'suseoftheunregistered well-known
mark before thataction canproceed?
Portuguese lawdistinguishes between twotypesofwell-known mark: well-known marks strictu
sensu andverywell-known marks, provided forrespectively inArticles 190and191oftheIndustrial
Property Code.
Under Portuguese law,registration ofamark isnotobligatory, either forwell-known orfor
marks thatarenotwell-known.
Inthespecific caseofwell-known marks, fromthestandpoint ofthequestion raised, twocases
should beconsidered:
Thefirsthypothesis isthesituation inwhich theowner ofawell-known mark wishes tooppose
theapplication byathirdparty fortheregistration ofthemark forthesame products orservices.
Inthiscase, theadministrative procedure requires theowner ofthewell-known mark himself
tosubmit anapplication forregistration (Industrial Property Code, Article 190).
Thesecond hypothesis iswhere theowner ofthewell-known mark wishes tobring alegal
action.
Ifitisacaseofacivilaction, i.e.iftheowner isnotclaiming fraudulent intent onthepart
ofthethirdparty, nopriorrequirement orcondition isimposed ontheowner ofthewell-known mark.
Inthecaseofacriminal action, i.e.where theowner ofthewell-known mark claims fraud
orintent todeceive, Portuguese lawlaysdown theprior requirement ofapplication forregistration
(Industrial Property Code, Article 264(1)(c)).
Inthecaseofverywell-known marks, theirowner mayapply totheadministration tooppose
theirregistration ortothecivilcourts toprevent theirusebyathirdparty, without anypriorcondition.
However, inthecaseofacriminal action, anapplication forregistration mustfirstbelodged
(Industrial Property Code, Article 264(1)(d)).
2. Please explain whether circumstances arising independently ofthewilloftheowner ofa
trademark andwhich constitute anobstacle totheuseofthetrademark (e.g., import restrictions or
other governmental regulations) canserve asavalidreason forpreventing cancellation ofregistration
ofamark. Ifsuchreasons arenotrecognized, please explain howPortuguese lawisconsistent with
Article 19.1oftheTRIPS Agreement.IP/Q2/PRT/1
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Circumstancesarisingindependentlyofthewilloftheownerofatrademarkandwhichconstitute
anobstacle totheuseofthetrademark cannot serve asaground forcancellation (Article 216(1)(a)
oftheIndustrial Property Code).
3. Please explain howunregistered well-known marks areprotected inPortugal, asrequired by
Articles 16.2and16.3oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Unregistered well-known marks areprotected inthesamewayasregistered marks. Articles 190
and191ofthePortuguese Industrial Property Code address thisquestion.
4. Please explain whether apresumption oflikelihood ofconfusion isprovided under Portuguese
lawinthedetermination ofconfusing similarity involving identical marks thatareusedonidentical
goods, asrequired byArticle 16.1oftheTRIPS Agreement. Ifso,please identify thebasis forthis
legal presumption.
Thepresumption oflikelihood ofconfusion isprovided forinArticles 204and207ofthe
Portuguese Industrial Property Code.
5. Please explain thestandard under Portuguese trademark lawthatisusedtodetermine whether
amark iswellknown andhowthisstandard isconsistent withArticle 16.2oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Please indicate whether knowledge ofthemark intherelevant sector ofthepublic andknowledge in
Portugal which isobtained asaresult ofthepromotion ofthemark arefactors thatareconsidered
inapplication ofthisstandard.
Whether ornotamark iswell-known isdetermined bythegeneral knowledge ofthemark
among consumers.
Portuguese civillawlaysdown thedefinition ofcommon knowledge ("faitnotoire "),which
must alsobetaken intoconsideration inthiscontext.
6. Portuguese lawappears toprovide protection forwell-known marks intheformofpreclusion
against registration byanother ofanidentical orsimilar markforgoods orservices notsimilar tothose
forwhich registration ofthemark issought. Itisnotclear thatPortuguese lawprotects against use
byathirdparty ofsuchamark. Please explain whether thirdparties arepermitted touseawell-known
mark without theconsent oftheowner ofthemark, andhowPortuguese practice isconsistent with
Article 16.3oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Portuguese lawprotects well-known marks against usebythirdparties. Third parties arenot
allowed touseawell-known mark without theconsent oftheowner (Article 264(1)(d) oftheIndustrial
Property Code).
[Follow-up question from theUnited States]
What isthedefinition ofawell-known markunder Portugal 'scivillaw? Please provide copies
oftherelevant provisions ofPortugal 'scivillawwithrespect towell-known marks.
Portuguese civillawdoesnotdefine theterm"well-known mark". Nevertheless, therelevant
provisions oftheParis Convention (Article 6bis)andoftheTRIPS Agreement (Article 16)arepart
ofthePortuguese legalsystem.
Furthermore, Articles 190and191oftheIndustrial Property Code govern protection of
well-known marks andverywell-known marks, respectively.IP/Q2/PRT/1
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7. Under Portuguese law,ifatrademark licence isnotrecorded, usebythelicensee maynot
berecognized asuseofthetrademark forpurposes ofmaintaining registration ofthemark. Please
explain howthisaspect ofPortuguese lawisconsistent withArticle 19.2oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Under Portuguese law,atrademark licence, evenifnotrecorded, gives thelicensee thesame
rights asaregranted totheowner (Article 30,No.4oftheIndustrial Property Code).
Thus, usebythelicensee, evenifthelicence isnotrecorded, isconsidered asusebytheowner
ofthemark.
8. Please explain howgeographical indications areprotected under Portuguese law,asrequired
byArticles 22and23oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Theprotection ofappellations oforigin andgeographical indications constitutes achapter of
thePortuguese Industrial Property Code (Chapter VIII). Theprovisions inquestion areinlinewith
Articles 22and23oftheTRIPS Agreement.
9. Please describe themethods bywhich industrial designs areprotected inPortugal, inparticular:
(a) theformorforms ofintellectual property usedtoprotect thedesign
(e.g., patent, copyright, suigeneris);
(b) theconditions thatmustbesatisfied toobtain thegrant ofsuchprotection
(e.g., whether designs mustbenewororiginal andtheparameters ofthese concepts),
andabriefdescription oftheregistration orgranting procedure;
(c) thenature oftherights granted andthetermofprotection provided;
(d) thenature ofremedies available totheowner ofeachtypeofprotection, including
adescription oftheconditions thatmaybeimposed (e.g., whether commercial use
isrequired); and
(e) whether anyexceptions toprotection orrights existforeachtypeofintellectual property
involved.
(a) Theprotection ofindustrial designs constitutes achapter ofthePortuguese lawontheprotection
ofindustrial property (Chapter IIIoftheIndustrial Property Code).
(b),(c),(d)and(e):SeeArticles 139to164oftheIndustrial Property Code.
10. Please explain howtextile designs areprotected under yourlaw.
Textile designs areprotected inaccordance withtheprovisions referred tointhereply to
question 9above.