JANE COLLINS

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JANE COLLINS
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Context

• Worlds largest agrochemical company
• 3rd largest in seeds
• 19,000 employees worldwide
• Sales in 120 countries

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Our Challenges

• 50/50 on/off patent
• Widely counterfeited/infringed
• Strictly regulated industry
• Very cost conscious

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SYNGENTA BIG BRANDS

• Sub-brands
• DEMAND - Public Health
• ICON / ICONET -
• KUNG FU - China
• WARRIOR - US
• HALLMARK - UK
• LAMTHRIN - South America
• CYHALON - Japan

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SYNGENTA BIG BRANDS

• AMISTAR AZ
• Sub-brands
• QUADRIS - Vines
• ORTIVA - Vegetables
• BANKIT - Bananas
• HERITAGE - Public Health / Turf
• PRIORI - South America

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Filing Statistics

• 32,500 marks in 140 countries
• 430 CTMs since 1 April 1996
• 830 International Registrations
• Covering 2 59 countries
• Oldest IR still used dates from 1940

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Filing Strategy

• Order of preference is CTM, Madrid, National
• Will base on Switzerland or UK because of speed
  of registration
• But CTM less strict on absolute grounds and do
  not require consents on relative grounds
• Use Madrid for 2 or more countries

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Costs

• Easy to compute and budget
• No translations or powers
• Low assignment costs
• Internal admin costs of paying bills hugely
  reduced
• One currency gives stability of costs and eases
  administration

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Administration

• One form
• Protocol countries had to speed up procedures
  more business certainty
• CTM countries had to harmonise more business
  certainty
• Renewals, assignments, changes of name etc much
  simpler one process, no powers, no special
  formalities

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TRADEMARK OWNERSHIP U.K.
ICI
demerger
Astra
ICI
Zeneca Limited
merger
Astra Zeneca (no trademarks)
Astra Zeneca
Avecia Specialty Chemicals
demerger
demerger
Zeneca Limited Agrochemicals
Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals
(Name Change)
Syngenta Limited
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TRADEMARK OWNERSHIP U.S.
Stauffer Chemical Co.
ICI America Inc.
acquired
acquired subsidiary
Zeneca Inc.
GB Biosciences Corpn.
(complicated assignment)
Zeneca Ag Products Inc.
merger
Syngenta Crop Protection Inc.
subsidiary
GB Biosciences Corpn.
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Madrid or CTM?

• Community Trademark - Advantages
• The most cost effective of all TM registration
  systems
• Will be even better when searches abolished
• Wider choice of languages e.g. German
• Correspondence and forms seen as easier than WIPO
• No need to appoint representatives if problems
  arise
• Use requirements

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Madrid or CTM?

• Community Trademark - Disadvantages
• High number of oppositions
• Increased risk of problems with enlargement.
• Cost and difficulty of conversion

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Conclusion

• We welcome the CTM joining Madrid
• Cost saving
• Choice
• Who joins the EU is a political matter
• Who joins Madrid is also political but
  something we can and do lobby

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JANE COLLINS