Article 6ter of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property protects armorial bearings, flags and other State emblems of the States party to that convention, as well as official signs and hallmarks indicating control and warranty adopted by them, against unauthorized registration and use as trademarks. The scope of this provision was extended in 1958, so as to include armorial bearings, flags, other emblems, abbreviations and names of international intergovernmental organizations of which one or more States party to the Paris Convention are members.
Article 6ter does not generate a trademark right, or any other type of IP right, over the signs that are covered by that provision.
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