§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the decision of the European Court of Justice in the Tesco v. Levi Strauss case; and if she will make a statement. [18045]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe judgment by the European Court of Justice in the Tesco v. Levi Strauss case confirmed that the European trade mark directive (89/104/EEC) means that branded goods cannot be imported into the European Economic Area without the trade mark owner's consent.
Many people will have been disappointed by this judgment. We believe that liberalisation of trade mark law will be good for consumers, good for business, and good for the economy.
We are working hard in Europe to achieve the necessary consensus for change to the directive. We are looking to the European Commission to help us to work through the issue of parallel trading.