Berggren Group has performed excellently both in light of OHIM’s statistics on number of filings and in the WTR 1000 survey, which assesses quality of service.Recently published international statistics and surveys show that Berggren has a proven reputation as a full service European IP house.
In terms of Finnish IP practices, we are at the top of the rankings for number of annual trademark and design registrations we file for our clients with OHIM, including EU trademark applications (CTM), international trademark applications (IA) and registered community designs (RCD). Depending on the category, we hold first to third place in the number of applications filed.
In statistics for filings made by 31 August 2015, Berggren Oy Ab, the parent company of Berggren Group, was in first place in OHIM’s Top 25 Country Representatives for CTMs statistic for number of EU trademark filings made by Finnish IP houses. During the review period, Berggren had filed a total of 1904 community trademark applications for its clients. The number of applications for the whole group, including filings made by other Berggren Group companies (Tampereen Patenttitoimisto Oy and Turun Patenttitoimisto Oy), was 2333.
In the statistic for international trademark applications, Berggren Oy Ab ranked in the top three with a total of 195, whereas the total for the whole Berggren Group was 231.
Berggren has also been active in registering the designs of it clients. By 31 August 2015, Berggren Oy Ab had filed a total of 1302 (1285) registered community design (RCD) applications for its clients, which means that Berggren was number two in RCD filings by Finnish IP houses. The total number of RCD filings for Berggren Group was 1829.
In The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, which came out in summer 2015, Berggren Oy Ab achieved the highest, Gold tier for quality of trademark registrations and strategic services. The report also states that Berggren has strengthened its position as a full service European IPR house:
”This firm has been a fixture on the Finnish IP landscape for over 75 years. While it remains a leader in its mainstay practice area of trademark prosecution, it has also emerged as a prominent European full-service IP provider, capable of deftly dispatching complex legal mandates as well as routine filing instructions. Berggren Oy Ab is the parent within the Berggren Group, an assemblage of four companies boasting an extensive network of domestic offices; wherever they are based, local brand owners can gain easy and immediate access to the firm’s unimpeachable IP protection expertise. The clever deployment of sophisticated IP management tools ensures a streamlined, cost-effective service. WTR 1000 newcomer Hannu Halmetoja’s pragmatic style wins him loud applause from peers. He is based in Helsinki, alongside fellow IP lawyer and European trademark and design attorney Erkki Holmila, a “superb strategist”. (WTR 1000)
Tarja Tchernych, Vice-President (Law, Trademarks and Designs), describes the practice: “Our law, trademarks and designs business has 40 IP experts: IP lawyers certified to practice in court, EU trademark and design attorneys, as well as domain experts, all helped by experienced and multilingual IP assistants.”
It is not only the number of experts that has enabled Berggren’s high quality, swift service, but also the efficient tools the company provides and uses:
“We handle application processes using the Greip™ tool, developed by us. Greip™ is a one-stop, internet-based electronic service for managing IPR, usable 24/7. Using the Greip™ service, both IPR routines and longer term strategic IP work can be completely customised to support the client’s business. The reporting and smart functionalities of the application bring significant cost savings to the process for both Berggren as service provider and for the client using the service”, Tchernych adds.
Recently clients have started to focus in their registrations on the whole of Europe, with many clients also filing applications in certain Asian countries and the US. In addition, Latin America and Africa have become more prominent as companies spread their business around the world.
Tchernych describes Berggren’s services: “Our highly professional experts at Berggren handle filings for both the EU as a whole and for selected markets through international applications. We have an international trademark attorney network, which means that we can also handle local national applications in a cost-effective manner, and secure the best possible protection and support for our clients’ business and brand development.”