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The Government plans to simplify the registration of two kinds of trademark transactions and clarify certain provisions in the Trade Marks Rules.
The Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 2006 (the 䩕Amendment Rules蒅) implementing these improvements were published in the Gazette today (March 24) and will be tabled at the Legislative Council on March 29, 2006.
The Amendment Rules will simplify the signing requirements of applications for registration of two kinds of trademark transactions, i.e. assignments and assents. This will facilitate the provision of electronic services for these transactions by the Trade Marks Registry.
Currently, the rules require applications and notices to register these two types of transactions to be signed by or on behalf of both parties to the transactions or accompanied by documentary evidence to establish the transaction.
The Amendment Rules will simplify the requirements by providing that it only needs one person (either the assignor or the personal representative making the assent) to sign the application or registration form . This will simplify the procedures and reduce the time taken for registration.
The Amendment Rules also clarify the procedures to be taken by the Registrar of Trade Marks (the 䩕Registrar蒅) in respect of deficiencies identified in part of the specification of goods or services in an application for registration of a trade mark.
Further technical amendments included in the Amendment Rules deal with the way changes to international classification of goods and services are published by the Registrar of Trade Marks and the way of documents should be filed with the Registrar.
Subject to the negative vetting procedures of the Legislative Council, the Rules will come into operation on May 26, 2006.
Ends/Friday, March 24, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:25
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