BOIP is the abbreviation, and acronym, for the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property. We are an independent international organisation that works closely with other bodies in the field of intellectual property both within and outside the Benelux. We also work together with a wide variety of organisations that work for entrepreneurs, such as the Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands or the business counters in Belgium.
Who works at BOIP?
There are approximately 80 staff working at our offices in The Hague. We have three working languages: Dutch, French and English.
The three members of our Director’s Committee each come from one of the Benelux countries:
Hugues Derème - Director General: has final responsibility for the organisation as a whole and for the performance of BOIP's statutory duties; represents the Benelux Organisation for Intellectual Property; responsible for BOIP's operational activities within the Operations and Legal & International Affairs departments; also responsible for international cooperation with partner organisations.
Ragnar Gustafsson - Deputy Director General: responsible for General Affairs: the BOIP's organisational activities within the IT, Finance and Facility departments.
Yves Hoffmann - Deputy Director General: responsible for Human Resources, Marketing, Communications and Customer Services.
The role of Director General is subject to a five-year rotation. The position is currently held by Hugues Derème since 1 July 2024.
BOIP is part of the Benelux Organisation for Intellectual Property, an international organisation made up of three bodies:
the Committee of Ministers, the highest-level decision-making body in the Benelux Union.
the Administrative Council, comprising representatives from the three Benelux countries. BOIP’s Director's Committee is accountable to the Administrative Council.
BOIP, responsible for implementing the law on the protection of trademarks and designs, which is the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (BCIP).
The objectives of the Benelux Organisation for Intellectual Property are:
executing the BCIP and the Implementing Regulation (IR),
promoting the protection of trademarks and designs in the Benelux,
performing additional tasks in other areas of intellectual property decided by the Executive Board,
continually evaluating and, if necessary, adapting Benelux legislation on trademarks and designs, for example in the light of changes in legislation at the European or international level.
What else does BOIP do?
BOIP registers your trademark or design in one go for the whole Benelux area. This was agreed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the Benelux Convention for Intellectual Property (BCIP). You can also contact us to record your idea in an i-DEPOT.
As instructed by the National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands BOIP also implements the Trademark Act BES (WMB) in the three special-status Dutch municipalities Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius and Saba.
Trademark registration in the Caribbean Netherlands
As instructed by the National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands BOIP also implements the Trademark Act (BES Islands) (WMB) in the three special Dutch municipalities Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius and Saba. On the website www.caribIE.nl you will find information about trademark registration and maintenance in the Caribbean Netherlands.
In addition, BOIP, in cooperation with the Sint Maarten Bureau for Intellectual Property (BIP SXM) arranges trademark registration for Sint Maarten.
Trademark registration Sint Maarten
In addition, BOIP, in cooperation with the Sint Maarten Bureau for Intellectual Property (BIP SXM) handles trademark registration for Sint Maarten. BIP SXM is the official body entrusted with implementation of the "National Ordinance on Trademarks" and the provision on other forms of intellectual property, such as patent law and copyright. Mrs. V. Rosen-Sandiford is the Bureau's Director. BIP SXM works closely with BOIP. The latter has provided Sint Maarten with an online trademark registration system (to be consulted via www.bip.sx). This system ensures a smooth, fast and transparent trademark registration procedure in Sint Maarten.
Official IP bodies
Nearly every country in the world has an official body like BOIP, dedicated to registering intellectual property rights. For example, in the Benelux area you can go to the national departments in Belgium (FPS Economy), the Netherlands (Netherlands Patent Office) or Luxembourg (Ministère de l'Économie).
There are also bodies that take care of protecting intellectual property in larger areas, like the European Union (EU):
Hence, when seeking protection for your trademark or design in the EU you can, for example, contact the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), based in Alicante (Spain);
Applications for patents in the EU can be directed to the European Patent Office (EPO), which has a number of locations in the EU. Thirty-eight states are affiliated, ten of which are outside the EU;
Meanwhile, there is also the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), based in Geneva (Switzerland), which deals with the international registration of trademarks, designs and patents. It also seeks harmonization of IP legislation and systems in various countries worldwide.
BOIP maintains close contacts with various IP organisations in the Benelux, Europe and beyond.
Cooperation
Alongside the official IP bodies BOIP also works together with a range of knowledge partners in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. These organisations - like the Dutch Chambers of Commerce or the Business advice centres in Belgium - are in close contact with entrepreneurs. This cooperation aims to share knowledge and information around intellectual property, entrepreneurship and innovation. Read more about cooperation
Benelux Council for Intellectual Property
The Benelux Council for Intellectual Property (Benelux Council) makes recommendations and advises BOIP on all matters around intellectual property that fall under the authority of the Benelux Organisation for Intellectual Property.
The Benelux Council comprises several stakeholding parties in the Benelux area, like the judiciary, the academic community, lawyers, representatives and the business community.
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