The European Commission has set out, in the form of a Communication, its vision for the long-term financing of the EU agency responsible for granting EU-wide trademark and design rights, OHIM (Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market, located in Alicante, Spain). The European Commission proposes the introduction of a regular and automatic review of trademark fees in order to ensure a reasonable balance in OHIM's budget. In the shorter term, this should mean lower trademark fees and a reduction in OHIM's surplus cash reserves. [European Commission Press Release]

European Commission Regulation (EC) No 1898/2006 of 14 December 2006 laying down detailed rules of implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs [[2006] OJ L 369/1]

The European Commission has decided to open a full investigation under the EU Merger Regulation into the proposed acquisition of the music publishing business of Germany’s Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) by Universal, a US-subsidiary of the French company Vivendi. The Commission’s initial market investigation indicates that the proposed merger would raise serious doubts as regards adverse effects on competition in the already concentrated music publishing market. The decision to open an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation. The Commission now has 90 working days (until 27 April 2007) to take a final decision on whether the proposed transaction would significantly impede effective competition within the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it. [European Commission Press Release]

European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy's speech on the EU patent strategy at the PanEuropean Intellectual Property Summit, Brussels, 7 December 2006 [European Commission Press Release]

While the mere provision of physical facilities does not as such amount to communication within the meaning of Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of copyright and related rights in the information society, the distribution of a signal by means of television sets by a hotel to customers staying in its rooms, whatever technique is used to transmit the signal, constitutes communication to the public within the meaning of Article 3(1) of that directive. The private nature of hotel rooms does not preclude the communication of a work by means of television sets from constituting communication to the public within the meaning of Article 3(1) of Directive 2001/29. [ECJ Press Release] [ECJ Ruling, Case C-306/05]

European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy's Speech given at the Cultural Diversity and Creative Rights Conference, Brussels, 29 November 2006 [European Commission Press Release]