What are the Community Trade Mark Courts and where are they located in Spain?

The Community Trade Mark Courts ("Juzgados de Marca Comunitaria") are located in Alicante and they exercise their jurisdiction to hear exclusively and at first instance all those cases which are brought within the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 40/94 of 20 December 1993 on the Community trade mark, and Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 on Community designs.

These Courts form part of the civil jurisdictional system and their jurisdiction extends to the whole Spanish national territory and as they are due only to these purposes they are called Community Trade Mark Courts.

On the other hand, the specialist Section or Sections of the Provincial Court of Alicante also hears, exclusively and at second instance, all those appeals referred to in Article 101 of Council Regulation (EC) No 40/94 of 20 December 1993 on the Community trade mark, and Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 on Community designs. In exercising this jurisdiction, these courts’ jurisdiction extends to the whole of Spain's national territory and for these purposes only they are called Community Trade Mark Courts.