EU Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) implemented taxonomy in its global classification tool TMclass

11-7-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Taxonomy has been successfully implemented in TMclass, OHIM´s global classification tool. Implementation took place on the first of July.

Taxonomy is a hierarchical structure based on the Nice Classification terms, with broader terms on top and more specific terms below. It takes its data from the Harmonised Database, which is a common database of acceptable terms, and one of the major achievements to date of the European Trade Mark and Design Network.

Fourteen EU national IP offices, plus OHIM, have so far had their data incorporated into the database, which currently contains around 65,000 terms of goods and services.

The structure has been integrated in TMclass to offer users an intuitive search, with easy navigation, via Taxonomy’s classification tree, which allows the right term in each category to be easily found.

Taxonomy is the result of three years’ hard work and consistent cooperation between EU IP national and regional offices, user associations, OHIM and WIPO, and it will be continuously updated and monitored by them.

Users have been at the centre of Taxonomy’s development from its inception – their feedback and guidance were vital in the development process. Taxonomy will benefit the entire user community due to its simplicity and accessibility, as no prior classification knowledge is required: users can drill down through the tree to find the correct term. Related terms are presented together, avoiding time-consuming, repetitive searches.

Although it serves administrative purposes only, Taxonomy leads to a faster and more precise classification, making TMclass an even more powerful tool.

Taxonomy will also be integrated into the new e-filing systems being developed by OHIM’s Cooperation Fund programme.

TMclass, and its new Taxonomy component, are available free of charge, at:
http://tmclass.tmdn.org

Taxonomy is already being used by WIPO, and is available at the Nice classification section of WIPO’s website at: http://www.wipo.int/classifications/nice/en/

To further help users, a short tutorial and a live chat is available on TMclass, to assist first-timers as they navigate the tool and perform searches. The live chat, which will give on the spot answers to Taxonomy queries will run for the month of July, and can be found in the right hand corner of the TMclass homepage.

Further information resources on Taxonomy are available at OHIM’s website at:
http://oami.europa.eu/ows/rw/pages/QPLUS/taxonomy.en.do

ENDS

About OHIM:
The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) is the official trade marks and designs office of the European Union. The OHIM registers the Community Trade Mark (CTM) and registered Community Design (RCD),
which are essential components of the European single market, in order to protect their identity and value. The Office, which was created in 1994 and is based in Alicante, carries out examination, registration, opposition and
cancellation procedures for Community Trade Marks and examination, registration and invalidity procedures for registered Community Designs. Since its creation, the OHIM has handled one million trade mark applications and
600 000 design applications.

For further information:
Press Room Contact
e-mail: pressroom@oami.europa.eu
Tel: +34 965 13 9100
www.oami.europa.eu