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The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of "substantial value rule" as an absolute ground for trademark refusal. Originating from the US "aesthetic functionality doctrine", the rule took a specific form in the EU. There it was incorporated in Directive (EU) 2015/2436 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks – Article 4 (1) (e) (iii), as well as in Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 on the European Union trade mark - Article 7 (1) (e) (iii). Pursuant to "substantial value rule", signs consisting exclusively of the shape that gives substantial value to the goods are not to be registered as trademarks or, if registered, are liable to be declared invalid. The objective of the paper is therefore threefold: a) to define the rationale of "substantial value rule"; b) to analyze relevant case law; c) to conclude whether a respective rule shall be abolished (providing its purpose may be achieved by other legal instruments without negative side-effects) or kept in the EU trademark law system. Bearing in mind the rationale of "substantial value rule" (on the one hand) and numerous problems that arise whenever "substantial value rule" is applied in practice (on the other hand) the paper provides guidelines for its appropriate interpretation.

The aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities of protection of geographical indications marking traditional products in the European Union, especially after the entry into force of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications. The current possibilities of protection at the international level serve as a starting point. The most significant changes brought about by the Geneva Act have been indicated in the paper and the consequences of the European Union accession to this international agreement have been analysed in detail. The research shows the advantages in terms of protection of geographical indications after the accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act only related to traditional agricultural and food products, whereas, for example, traditional handicrafts, souvenirs and other non-agricultural products do not benefit therefrom. Moreover, the results of the research show that while the European Union has managed to expand the policy of protection of geographical indications at a global level through the adoption of the Geneva Act, its position has been weakened by the fact that there is no sui generis system of protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for non-agricultural products in the European Union. The paper also analyses the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of the traditional products protection through the geographical indications protection marking them, and it emphasizes the importance of geographical indications protection for indigenous non-agricultural products (souvenirs) for tourist destinations such as the Republic of Croatia. The conclusion of the research supports the need for establishing a system of geographical indications protection for non-agricultural products at the European Union level in order to enable the protection of geographical indications for all traditional products in the European Union through the established system of international registration.

Posljednjih desetljeća, diljem svijeta, u inim industrijama, može se uočiti sve veća uporaba tradicijskih imena i simbola na komercijalnim proizvodima. Osobito često dolazi do korištenja urođeničkih imena i simbola na komercijalnim proizvodima neurođenika u državama u kojima su veće urođeničke zajednice kao što su SAD, Kanada, Australija i Novi Zeland. Takva praksa urođenicima nije prihvatljiva - ili zbog toga što je uvredljiva ili što iskorištava, a katkad i narušava njihov ugled. Osobito neprihvatljivom praksom urođenici smatraju kad neurođenici prisvajaju urođeničke oznake. Cilj je rada ispitati obuhvaća li konvencionalni sustav žigovnoga prava mehanizme čijom se primjenom može osigurati zaštita od neprimjerne uporabe tradicijskih oznaka. Radi ostvarenja navedenoga cilja, analiziraju se međunarodni i europski izvori iz područja žigovnoga prava, ali i specifična nacionalna rješenja. Istraživanje je pokazalo kako konvencionalni sustavi žigovnoga prava samo u iznimnim situacijama tradicionalnim oznakama mogu osigurati zaštitu od zloupotreba. Zbog toga pojedine države (u kojima su urođeničke zajednice brojnije, a javne politike usmjerene na zaštitu urođenika) različitim intervencijama u konvencionalne sustave žigovnoga prava nastoje povećati učinkovitost u borbi protiv uvredljive uporabe urođeničkih oznaka. Prikazuje se kako je na Novom Zelandu uveden koncept kulturološke uvrede kao apsolutnoga razloga za odbijanje registracije žiga, dok su u Kanadi uvedene, tzv. službene oznake kao posebne vrste žiga, te se razmatra doseg takvih intervencija i mogu li takvi primjeri biti relevantni za Europsku uniju. Analizira se kakve se slične intervencije u konvencionalni sustav žigovnoga prava primjenjuju u Europskoj uniji kako bi se osigurala zaštita od neprimjerene uporabe europskih autohtonih i tradicijskih oznaka. ; Since few decades ago, the use of traditional insignias on commercial products has been increasing, across the globe. In particular, the use of indigenous insignias on commercial products of non-indigenous ...