After the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 31 January 2020, and in accordance with a Withdrawal Agreement that stipulates a transition period which will end on 31 December 2020, EU law will still be applicable to the UK in relation to EU trade marks and Community designs and any related proceedings. As such, Brexit will not affect these intellectual property rights until the end of the transition period.

After the end of the transition period, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) will create equivalent UK national rights from any already registered EU trade mark or registered designs, or EU designation in any International registration. There will also be provision for EU applications pending at the end of the transition period.  EU rights will continue to cover the remaining 27 EU member states.

European patents will remain unaffected even after the end of the transition period as the European Patent Office is independent of the UK’s membership of the EU.

More information can be found on the EUIPO website.