9th of May marks the anniversary of the Schuman declaration and the beginning of the EU project. Find some curiosities about IP and the EU.
EU represented by the European Commission owns more than 80 EU trade marks and designs registered at the EUIPO. The EU, represented by the European Parliament, owns 6 EU trade marks. Among them: the GI labels, Erasmus +, Horizon Europe and many logos (old and new) of EU Institutions, services & initiatives.
The European anthem comes from the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig Van Beethoven, when he set music to the “Ode to Joy” of Friedrich von Schiller. Adopted by EU leaders in 1985 as the official anthem of the European Union, it consists of music only (no words) and expresses the ideals of freedom, peace and solidarity.
The search for a European flag began in the early 1950s. And it was open to a “public contest”. The 12 stars of the flag does not represent the countries, but it is a symbol of unity. It was not officially adopted by the EU institutions until 1985.
The principles of use of the European emblem by third parties was set out in an agreement with the Council of Europe. Any natural or legal person may use the European emblem or any of its elements, as long as some conditions are fulfilled.
The EUIPO was one of the EU agencies set up under the Maastricht Treaty. To manage what it was a new EU-wide IP right: the EU trade mark (then known as Community trade mark). Spain was designated as the host country for the EUIPO and it opened its doors in 1994.