The “interrupted period” for trade mark and design deadlines will end on 29 July 2020, it has been confirmed.
The announcement comes as the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) reminds businesses that it is still operating limited services and is unable to accept or issue most paper correspondence.
Under the interrupted period, any deadlines for patents, supplementary protection certificates, trade marks, designs, and applications for these rights which fall on an interrupted day will be extended to the next non-interrupted day.
However, the interrupted period will end on 29 July 2020, meaning that the first normal day of operation when all interrupted days deadlines expire will be Thursday 30 July.
Commenting on the announcement, the IPO said: “This action relaxes the requirements on applicants or rights-holders to act by certain deadlines. To keep work moving and avoid a surge of work once the interruption period ends, please aim to meet original deadlines where possible.”
Do note that the interrupted period only applies to time periods set out under UK laws and regulations, and not those set out under the various international IP treaties. The Patent Cooperation Treaty, European Patent Convention, and Madrid system, for example, are currently operating their own interruption periods in respect to the pandemic.
The announcement comes as the regulator reminds businesses that the office is currently unable to issue paper Certified Office Copies (COCs) until it returns to normal operations.
“We remain operational and able to conduct all forms of business but there are impacts on certain processes. We are extending the ways in which we can communicate with our customers electronically and advise our customers to use alternatives to post”, said the IPO.
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