Milestones in 2023
‘Great Place To Work’ certificate
In October 2023 we carried out a staff satisfaction survey, along the ‘Great Place To Work’ scheme. The result was that as many as 82% of colleagues feel that BOIP is a ‘Great Place To Work’. We are very proud of that! It means we have obtained the ‘Great Place To Work’ certificate. There are, of course, a few areas that can be improved, and there will be a new round of certification in October 2024.
CliftonStrengths
In 2023 we also began implementing the CliftonStrengths programme, which enables people to identify where their talents lie. Studies have shown that staff are more successful and experience greater satisfaction when they are able to use their talents in their daily activities. By answering a series of questions staff are able to see their personal ranking for a range of 34 skills. A number of teams also took part in a team workshop. Alongside individual skills, the team workshop gives insight into the skills of colleagues and where the strengths of the team lie.
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Results
In 2023 the number of trademark applications, design applications and i-DEPOTs increased compared to 2022. The number of renewed trademark registrations and inter partes proceedings, however, remained low.
In 2023 we implemented a number of efficiency measures in the way we conduct our business. These had different positive results. For example, throughout the year we outperformed the key performance indicator (KPI) for processing time for trademark applications: these applications were processed on average within 5.64 working days. We were also able to move through and process substantive legal proceedings and general customer queries faster, without impacting on quality.
In order to provide even better service to our customers, improved versions of the online registration applications were brought into use for both trademarks and designs, extra security was added to protect trademark owner details in the Trademarks Register and, behind the scenes, we ensured that trademark applications could be published faster.
Communication
CaribIE campaign
In the Spring of 2023, an extensive trademark campaign was run in the Dutch Caribbean to raise awareness among entrepreneurs in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba of how important it is to register their trademark. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) developed the campaign, in cooperation with BOIP. It ran for 2 months and was widely rolled out in the media in the local newspapers, online, on the radio and in a television advertisement. A delegation from EZK and BOIP also travelled to a number of islands to give workshops to local entrepreneurs on the importance of trademark registration.
Website digital accessibility
Web content must comply with international guidelines for digital accessibility: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). Digital accessibility means that a website must also be accessible for people with disabilities (visual or hearing disabilities, for example). BOIP has already been working for a while on the digital accessibility of its website, so that it can be accessed by everyone. Most of www.boip.int is now digitally accessible, meaning that we meet the standards of the international WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
New branding for social media/online
We have further developed the corporate BOIP branding for our online capabilities and social media channels. One of the first products with this new branding is our white paper on trademark registration: a real kickstart for every entrepreneur.
Legal & International Affairs
New Guidelines for Opposition
November 2023 saw BOIP publish a fully revised version of the Guidelines for Opposition Proceedings. A number of adjustments were already made since the opposition proceedings were introduced in 2004, but a complete revision had become necessary in the meantime. This was due to important lessons learned and interpretations from the courts, and to major changes such as the ‘TradeMark Package’. The Guidelines are available in BOIP’s three working languages: Dutch, French and English. The Guidelines are a valuable tool, not only for internal use by our legal officers and examiners, but also – and above all – for all IP professionals taking legal action through BOIP.
Coffee break webinars
The coffee break webinar is a new BOIP concept where BOIP legal officers speak with IP professionals for 15 minutes about a current legal topic. In 2023 we organised two coffee break webinars, one on portrait trademarks, and one on flags and trademarks. In 2023 these short webinars were viewed by 312 single viewers and received positive feedback from legal colleagues.
Cooperation between the Benelux and Europe
In 2023 the EUIPO and the national and regional intellectual property organisations (IPOs), including BOIP, made efforts to further improve their cooperation.
In that context BOIP organised several insightful bilateral visits with various IPOs, alongside the meetings organised by the EUIPO. The bilateral meetings gave participants the opportunity to exchange best practices in daily activities, as well as ideas for the future. A cornerstone of our joint efforts was the continuing cooperation in providing service to entrepreneurs.
Together with the EUIPO we have developed and improved a variety of applications, both for external users and our own staff. These are applications such as the Front Office, the Back Office, and a tool to prepare for refusal on absolute grounds. Finally, in 2023 the three Benelux countries in close cooperation with BOIP prepared a contribution towards the evaluation of the Regulation on European Union trademarks launched by the European Commission.
Would you like to know more about our results in 2023? View our annual report in the adjacent window or download the report as a PDF.
Sustainability
Office renovation
Sustainability is an important topic for us at BOIP. It is the reason why our offices in The Hague are being extensively renovated and made more sustainable. In December 2023 the municipality granted us permission for our planned renovation work. By completely renovating the building shell and the roof, and thanks to energy-efficient climate control systems, BOIP will be able to obtain an A+ energy label. The start of the renovation is scheduled for Q4 2024.
Saving in CO2
In line with BOIP’s sustainable waste processing policy, used furniture was donated in September 2023 to Opnieuw. This organisation makes new office equipment by taking used furniture apart and re-using the components. The work is carried out in their social workshop, a space where people who are disadvantaged on the employment market are given opportunities to work. The result? BOIP saved almost 2 tons of CO2 with this initiative in 2023.
Outlook 2024
Would you like to take a look with us at 2024? You will find some of our plans below.
- New Director General: In accordance with our governance, our Director General Ragnar Gustafsson will step down as of July 2024. Hugues Derème will become the new Director General. Our Administrative Council will be guiding this process.
- EQUIP: In 2024 we are expecting to receive our ISO9001 certificate. We have set up an internal quality management system for this purpose under the name EQUIP (Excellence and Quality for IP). Preparations were started mid-2023. An ISO9001 certification means we will be able to show our customers and business relations that our processes meet international standards, that we listen to the feedback from our customers and that we attach high value to continuing improvement.
- Launch of Name checker: We expect to launch this tool in cooperation with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in 2024. Visitors to the Name checker website will be able to search directly in both the Business Register of the Chamber of Commerce and the BOIP Trademarks Register to find out which company names already exist.
- Easyfiling: We are working on a simplified version of our online form for registering trademarks. This version is especially aimed at customers who have no experience with applying to register a trademark.
- Office renovation: As you have read in the paragraph on sustainability, in 2024 we are expecting to make a start on renovating our offices.
Our ambitions
2024 will be a year of transition for BOIP, with one important milestone. In line with the appointment of a new Director General – who will take office as of 1 July – BOIP will draw up a new strategic plan for the coming five years. This will be done inclusively, in close cooperation with all parties concerned. In addition, in 2024 we will be finalising various projects and starting new activities, such as launching the new tool ‘Name checker’, new (differentiated) versions of the e-filing for trademarks, an ISO9001 certification and fully eco-renovating the office. This how BOIP makes the IP system more accessible and more reliable each year!