Neutraliteit is geboden

Het Designs Department van het OHIM laat weten wat een neutrale achtergrond is en wat er gebeurt als de achtergrond niet neutraal is: : "The Office’s interpretation is that a background is considered neutral as long as the design is clearly discernible on it. For example in a case where a photograph of the design has been taken outside in a garden or with a building behind the design, the representation is interpreted as having a neutral background, as long as it does not affect the possibility of clearly identifying the design which is applied for.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the representation of the design is of a quality allowing all the details for which protection is sought to be clearly distinguished.The examiner will in each case make an evaluation of whether the lack of a neutral background affects the possibility of clearly identifying the design which is applied for. If the examiner finds that the representation is deficient, this will influence the filing date of the application."