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Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance

Briefings

Commercial Courts of Barcelona & Alicante get ready for the MWC

17 December 2018

Key issues

  • Commercial Courts of Barcelona repeat the Protocol aimed at dealing with proceedings related to MWC in a "fast-track" mode for the 2019 MWC edition.
  • As a new feature, the EU Trademark and Community Design Courts in Alicante have joined the Protocol.
  • The Protocol, which will be in force in February 2019, encompasses patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyrights and acts of unfair competition and unlawful advertising in relation to products and materials planned to be exhibited at the event.
  • The Protocol allows the submission of protective letters to minimise the risk of the adoption of ex parte interim injunctions.
  • Urgent applications for interim injunctions related to the MWC will have preferential treatment.
  • Barcelona Courts will immediately enforce the decisions issued by the EU Trade Mark Courts in Alicante.
  • Fast Court decisions: 24 hours to admit/reject protective letters; 48 hours to decide on interim injunction applications on an ex parte basis; and 10 days to hold a hearing and hand down a decision on applications for interim injunctions where a protective letter was previously submitted.

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