The TÜV Trademark Association
Who we are
The TÜV Trademark Association (TÜV Markenverbund e.V.) is an alliance of the TÜV Technical Inspection Associations. Its task is the world-wide protection and strengthening of all TÜV brands. For historical reasons, the trademark “TÜV” is now jointly owned by the seven TÜV groups: TÜV SÜD, TÜV Rheinland, TÜV NORD, TÜV AUSTRIA, TÜV Hessen, TÜV Thüringen and TÜV Saarland. Therefore they all share the trademark name “TÜV”, but they are independent of each other and in competition with each other. The TÜV Trademark Association is a central organisation which ensures that the “TÜV” trademark, as a jointly owned asset of outstanding value, is systematically and uniformly protected and maintained to a high standard.
Mission
The trademark “TÜV” is highly desired throughout the world, but unfortunately counterfeiters also want it. The TÜV Trademark Association systematically prosecutes all forms of brand piracy involving the “TÜV” trademark.
The TÜV services are mainly focused on technical products and applications, so infringements often affect sectors which are relevant for safety. Serious dangers can therefore arise from products, machines and systems with fake test certification marks.
Consumers who believe that they have purchased a safe and certified article may sometimes find that they have bought a fake which has not been in a legitimate safety test. Even simple products can often pose a serious risk to safety. A torn or slipping tensioning belt can cause serious eye injury, a hubcap which comes off a moving car is particularly hazardous for cyclists and pedestrians, faulty toy packaging could be fatal. This is all the more true for complex machines and systems. Fake TÜV test marks also harm responsible manufacturers who have invested in certification. They would lose their competitive advantage over competitors who sell their products with fake TÜV test marks. The TÜV Trademark Association operates a zero-tolerance policy for fake TÜV test marks, and thus gives all market participants confidence that they can really trust TÜV test marks.
Protective measures
The “TÜV” marks are comprehensively protected all over the world with over 1,600 trademark registrations.
Monitoring of trademark registers
To prevent any registration of identical trademarks or trademarks which are similar to TÜV trademarks in registers anywhere in the world, the trademark registers are monitored, and oppositions are filed to any such trademark applications.
Monitoring of domain and company registers
In the same way, TÜV Trademark Association also monitors domain and company registers. If any domain applications infringe on the TÜV brand, blocking orders or out-of-court dispute resolution procedures such as the UDRP process (Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) or URS process (Uniform Rapid Suspension) procedure are initiated. If any company names infringe on the TÜV brand, legal warnings are issued, and court action is taken where necessary.
Web crawlers
In addition to the monitoring of registers, the market is also monitored to identify any fake TÜV companies and fake TÜV test marks. A web crawler is used to monitor the market on the Internet. Any violations which are identified are then tackled with a “notice-and-take-down” process.
Cooperation with customs
In cooperation with the customs authorities, steps are also taken to ensure that no products with fake TÜV test marks are imported. In such cases, the products are ordered to be destroyed. The customs authorities are given specific training to enable them to identify such imports. The goods displayed at trade fairs are also monitored, and any goods which infringe on the brand are confiscated by customs as evidence in the course of their investigations. Any brand violations are systematically prosecuted under both civil law and criminal law.