Preface

In many ways, 2015 promised to be an important year for the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP). And indeed it was! Expectations were high due to three remarkable events.

First, on 1 January 2015, the new headquarters agreement between the BOIP and the Kingdom of the Netherlands took effect. Enabling the introduction of internal tax and social systems, this agreement plays an essential part in ensuring our organisation's international dimension and independence for the long term. Though implementation proved complex and challenging and required many internal changes, we can take pride in having brought it to successful completion.

We were also aware that the European institutions had nearly reached agreement on the wording of the Trade Mark

Package. And on 21 April, we were relieved to hear that the trialogue had led to a political compromise about an agreement on both the new directive on the Community Trade Mark (renamed 'European Union trade mark'), as well as a new harmonisation directive.

Though the final versions were not published until December, how the directives might affect the BOIP and the Benelux's users could already be provisionally assessed by April. The Trade Mark Package not only sets out key trademark law reforms, but above all else, expands on harmonisation measures, to now concern fundamental and other procedural rules as well. The trademark offices will be assigned new, complex tasks and collaboration will occupy a permanent place in the domain of European trademarks. The Member States will now have three years' time to transpose most of the directive's provisions. As I write this,

great progress has already been seen in the transposition efforts for the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property.

Finally, as planned, the Cooperation fund of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (now called 'EUIPO') ended its operations in autumn 2015. In five years' time, a substantial number of projects, several of which were strategically important for the BOIP, were successfully completed.

In this regard in particular, we have diligently pursued two areas for the last few months, taking important steps forward. One of these was our front office, where, at our users' frequent insistence, we launched an e-filing system for oppositions in the spring. Several weeks later, we

introduced a new trademark e-filing application with an integrated classification tool developed in the context of the convergence programme (Harmonized Database). Another was our back office which, despite the immense complexity and exceedingly tight schedule, saw the introduction of the preliminary version of the back office design application in early September.

Along with countless other developments (including the migration and standardisation of our data, the digitisation of incoming documents, etc.), these accomplishments represent critical steps in the creation of the My BOIP environment, which will eventually serve as a customised electronic 'counter' for our entire range of services.

We will not allow our services' progressive digitisation be to the detriment of customer relations. For example, in 2015, we introduced new tools to offer more user support, including a chat function, to guide and assist users in real time.

In 2015, these milestones in no way took precedence over core task development. On the contrary, significant progress was made in that regard too. For instance, after experiencing several successive years of decline, our activities finally showed growth, considerably so, with increases in both the trademark applications (+8.2%) and renewals numbers (+18.3%). With almost 12% of the total number of trademark applications, we may conclude that the English working language indeed meets our users’ needs.

The design applications have risen also (+14.6%), after a rather disappointing development in 2014. Unfortunately, the i-DEPOT numbers continued to decline (-4.8%).

This upward trend in filing numbers is partly due to the economic recovery, but implementing a large-scale communications campaign in the Netherlands, focused on trademarks, certainly played a large part as well. Thanks to the support of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the BOIP was able to run an extensive campaign that combined ambitious online and offline means of communication.

Lastly, I would like to mention the autumn 2015 entry into force of the agreement with Sint-Maarten, which establishes the BOIP's responsibility to process, publicise and register

trademark applications for this island territory. In addition our existing responsibility on behalf of the Dutch Caribbean (the BES islands), the BOIP will perform this new task pursuant to Article 1.3, under d of the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property, thereby strengthening our reputation as a solid, reliable organisation.

In short, we can look back on an intense and successful year! However, the BOIP is not in the habit of resting on its laurels. Moreover, for 2016, we have again set very ambitious targets. The back office project will continue, with additional design functionalities and the creation of the trademarks application. By the end of the year, an e-filing application for design amendment requests has to go live. Modification of the i-DEPOT, to include a tool for representatives and a

publication option, will also take high priority. We will also begin building an all-new BOIP website, with new functionalities, a simplified structure and navigation, social media support and entirely rewritten content.

For all our accomplishments in 2015 and ambitions for 2016, we should not lose sight of the future: our organisation needs a clear, long-term vision. Therefore, the BOIP spent time redefining its mission, targets and core values, which we consider fundamental to our activities and our future. Passionate, open, expert and enterprising are the new values the BOIP wishes to put forth in everything it does.

An annual report is only a snapshot: it does not present the big picture. However, I have no doubt this concise overview will persuade readers of our organisation's extraordinary decisiveness and our staff's great enthusiasm. So naturally, I would like to devote my last remark to our staff and thank them profusely for their tireless efforts!

Edmond Simon
Director General