05 | 02 | 2016
Applications for the inaugural edition of the DesignEuropa Awards
Applications are now open for the inaugural edition of the DesignEuropa Awards, organised by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), the EU’s largest intellectual property agency.
The DesignEuropa Awards celebrate excellence in design and design management among Registered Community Design (RCD) holders, whether they are individual right holders, SMEs or large enterprises.
The RCD is a unitary intellectual property right administered by the Office and valid throughout the EU-28. Since its introduction, in 2003, OHIM has received nearly a million designs from companies and individuals within the EU and across the world.
The DesignEuropa Awards have three categories: Industry (firms with more than 50 employees and/or over €10 million turnover); Small and Emerging companies (firms with fewer than 50 employees and/or less than €10 million turnover, or companies established after January 1, 2013); and a special Lifetime Achievement Award.
The application period runs from February 1 to July 15 2016. Candidates can apply through the registration form, but any individual or institution can propose candidates through the nomination forms as well. Application and nomination forms, plus rules and conditions are available on the DesignEuropa Award section of OHIM’s website. Finalists will be announced in October 2016, with the award ceremony taking place in Milan, Italy, on November 30, 2016.
The Awards are presented in partnership with the Italian Patent and Trade Mark Office (Ufficio Italiano Brevetti e Marchi).
Design is a key driver of innovation and growth. A report produced by OHIM and the European Patent Office (EPO) showed that design-intensive industries generate 12% of all jobs in the EU and almost 13% of its GDP, and that companies that own designs have, on average, revenue that is 31% higher per employee than firms that do not.
ABOUT OHIM
The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market is the EU’s largest intellectual property agency. Founded in 1994, it is responsible for the management of two EU-wide intellectual property rights, the Community Trade Mark (CTM) and the Registered Community Design (RCD). The RCD, introduced in 2003, offers unitary design protection, and is valid throughout the 28 member states of the European Union. From March 23, 2016, the name of the Office will change to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
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