The Issues Underpinning Graphical
Representation of an Olfactory Trademark
The aim of this paper is to question a number of aspects concerning emergence of
non-conventional trademarks, with a particular emphasis on an olfactory trademark
and the related problems with registration thereof. The first part follows
the legislation that regulates the scope of the trademarks as well as presents a
comprehensively critical review of the relevant cases from the UK and the EU
purviews. Then, the author proceeds to dealing with a handful of varieties in
which an olfactory trademark may be graphically represented. In addition, to
enhance the understanding of the perception of scents and legal ramifications
stemming therefrom, some remarks concerning the way in which human olfactory
organs register smells adduced. Subsequently, substantive amendments to the
EU trademark law soon to be promulgated are then elucidated, together with
plausible, inexplicably conjoined influence thereof on the viability of pursuing
registration of an olfactory trademark. In the conclusion, the author chooses the
most valuable method of representation of an olfactory trademark, followed by
an elaborate justification.