Article 119
General principles of representation
- Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2, no person shall be compelled to be represented
before the Office.
- Without prejudice to the second sentence of paragraph 3 of this Article, natural or legal
persons having neither their domicile nor their principal place of business or a real and
effective industrial or commercial establishment in the European Economic Area shall be
represented before the Office in accordance with Article 120(1) in all proceedings provided
for by this Regulation, other than the filing of an application for an EU trade mark.
- Natural or legal persons having their domicile or principal place of business or a real and
effective industrial or commercial establishment in the European Economic Area may be
represented before the Office by an employee. An employee of a legal person to which this
paragraph applies may also represent other legal persons which have economic
connections with the first legal person, even if those other legal persons have neither their
domicile nor their principal place of business nor a real and effective industrial or
commercial establishment within the European Economic Area. Employees who represent
persons, within the meaning of this paragraph, shall, at the request of the Office or, where
appropriate, of the party to the proceedings, file with it a signed authorisation for insertion
in the files.
- Where there is more than one applicant or more than one third party acting in common, a
common representative shall be appointed.