IP Glossary - T

devices or software that allow the right holder to control or limit the use of their protected work (also known as digital rights management systems).

is the successful application or adaptation of a technology, know-how, or production method developed by one organization to meet the needs of one or more other organizations, often across different industrial sectors. It is considered achieved when formal agreements—such as licensing, joint ventures, manufacturing, or commercial contracts with technical assistance—are signed, and the transferred technology is innovative for the recipient.

is the assignment of technological intellectual property, developed and generated in one place, to another through legal means such as technology licensing or franchising.

in the context of FP7 and Horizon 2020 the term “third country” designates any country/territory that is not a European Union Member State country or an overseas country or territory linked to a European Union country.

means a person or a legal entity which does not participate in the same project, even though such a third party may participate in another FP7 project. If foreseen in the Grant Agreement, some third parties may carry out some work in the project (e.g. subcontractors, affiliates or members of a joint research unit). However, such third parties do not become participants.

the visual appearance of a product or its packaging that identifies the source of the product to consumers, without serving any functional purpose, and may be protected under trademarks, industrial designs, or, in some jurisdictions, unfair competition laws.

is a distinctive sign—such as words, personal names, logos, letters, numerals, colors, shapes of goods or packaging, or sounds—that identifies and distinguishes the goods or services of one company from those of others. A registered trademark grants the owner the exclusive right to use it in relation to the products or services for which it is registered, helping establish brand recognition, reputation, and consumer trust. Trademarks must be capable of clear graphical representation and can be registered nationally or internationally.

may consist of any signs, in particular words, including personal names, or designs, letter, numerals, colours, the shape of goods or their packaging, or sounds, provided that such signs are capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings and of being represented clearly and precisely on the register.

A name used to identify a business, as distinguished from a trade mark which identifies goods or services as produced or marketed by a particular undertaking. A trade name does not have to be identical with the corporate/legal name entered in a commercial register.

A trade secret is any confidential business, industrial, or technical information that provides a company with a competitive advantage and is subject to reasonable measures to keep it secret. To qualify as a trade secret, the information must: 

(1) be secret, meaning it is not generally known or readily accessible to those who normally deal with such information; 

(2) have commercial value because of its secrecy; and 

(3) be actively protected by the holder through confidentiality measures such as agreements or security practices. 

Once the information becomes publicly known, it loses trade secret protection.

Traditional knowledge (TK) encompasses the knowledge, know-how, skills and practices that are developed, sustained and passed on from generation to generation within a community, often forming part of its cultural or spiritual identity.

refers to a specific part of the grant agreement (Annex I) in the thematic “Research for SMEs“ and “Research for SME associations“ where participants agree on the conditions of the ownership of the results, access rights to be provided to any SME participant or SME Association and the remuneration of the RTD performers. The transaction is concluded with the approval of REA.

A person to whom an interest or right is transferred or assigned, which gives him or her the interest or right the owner had prior to the transfer or assignment.

(Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) is an international agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) that sets minimum standards for the regulation and protection of intellectual property rights, aiming to reduce trade distortions while promoting effective and adequate IP protection globally.

Tangible Research Property is defined as tangible (or corporeal) items produced in the course of research projects. TRP includes items such as: biological materials, engineering drawings, computer software, integrated circuit chips, computer databases, prototype devices, circuit diagrams, equipment.

Registering domain names that are either visually similar to your domain name or are mistyped (one key off on the keyboard). Example: If Europe.eu is the domain name, europ.eu could be the typosquatted domain (visually similar); or if Europe.eu is the domain name, Euripe.eu could be the variant (the letter ‘i’ is next to the letter ‘o’ on the keyboard, making this a common typo). Omitting or doubling characters are also characteristics of typosquatting.