Visit of the EUIPO’s Boards of Appeal to Hanken
Visit of the EUIPO’s Boards of Appeal to Hanken
The EUIPO delegation will consist of
- Mr Sven Stürmann, President of the Boards of Appeal,
- Ms Nina Korjus, Chairperson of the Fourth Board of Appeal,
- Mr Harri Salmi, Member of the Second Board of Appeal, and
- Ms Riikka Innanen, Member of the President’s Cabinet.
The event is primarily aimed at students majoring in intellectual property law as well as commercial law, but other interested participants are also welcome to attend.
Registration: To attend the event, please register by Sunday, 10 May 2026 using this link
More details: You can find the program of the visit below, along with a short overview of the EUIPO and the Boards of Appeal.
PROGRAM OF THE VISIT
16.00-16.05: Welcome and introduction
Professor Nari Lee, Professor of IP Law, Hanken
Professor Gyöngyi Kovács, Dean of Research, Hanken
16.05-16.35: Headlines from the Boards of Appeal: What you need to know
Mr Sven Stürmann, President of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal
Discussion
16.35-17.05: Intersection of geographical indications and trade marks
Ms Nina Korjus, Chairperson of the EUIPO Fourth Board of Appeal
Discussion
17.05-17.30: Recent Boards of Appeal case law
Ms Riikka Innanen, Member of the President’s Cabinet, EUIPO Boards of Appeal
Discussion
About the EUIPO
The EUIPO is the EU agency responsible for managing the European Union trade marks (EUTMs), the registered European Union designs (REUDs), the geographical indications (GIs) for craft and industrial products and the European and international cooperation in the field of intellectual property (IP), as well as the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights.
The EUIPO acts as a key facilitator of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) and is involved in an increasing number of EU-funded projects operated under contribution agreements with the European Commission. The Observatory aims to raise public awareness, deliver training, develop systems, and provide evidence-based data on IP protection and enforcement. It is also responsible for establishing and managing the EU orphan works database and the public single online portal for the out-of-commerce works.
The Office’s work at EU level extends to the harmonisation of registration practices and the development of common tools in cooperation with its partners from national and regional IP offices throughout the EU, users, and other institutional partners. All decisions adversely affecting a party to a proceeding can be appealed to the Office’s Boards of Appeal.
About the EUIPO Boards of Appeal
The Boards of Appeal are responsible for deciding on appeals against first instance decisions taken by the EUIPO concerning European Union trade marks (EUTMs), registered European Union designs (EU designs), and EU geographical indications (GIs) for craft and industrial products. The decisions of the Boards are, in turn, liable to actions before the General Court. The judgments of the General Court are subject to a right to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union on points of law. The Boards of Appeal are independent and, in deciding a case, are not bound by any instructions.
The Boards of Appeal are headed by the President of the Boards of Appeal, who is appointed by the Council of Ministers from a list prepared by the Management Board of the Office. The Boards of Appeal consist of 5 Boards plus the Grand Board. The Presidium is responsible for establishing rules and organizing the work of the Boards. The Boards of Appeal Operations Area, which includes the Registry, the Knowledge, Information & Support Service (KISS), and the Litigation Service (LS), ensures their smooth functioning. Additionally, the EUIPO Mediation Centre, which offers Alternative Dispute Resolution Services (ADRS), is run and organized by the Boards of Appeal.
A Board of Appeal deciding on a case consists of 3 Members, including the Chairperson. Two of the Members must be legally qualified. However, specific cases may be decided on by the Grand Board or by a single Member.
The Chairpersons have managerial and organisational responsibility for their respective Boards and are responsible for appointing the Rapporteur in each appeal case. The Members of the Boards of Appeal are appointed by the Management Board of the Office