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The Intellectual Property Department (IPD) has taken measures to help users of its electronic services who are adversely affected by the current Internet interruptions, a spokesperson for the IPD said today (December 28).
"Most of our clients for our electronic services are local and we have contacted many of them by telephone. They confirmed that they are not having a problem using our system at present," the spokesperson said.
"However, clients filing or searching our database from overseas, or local clients using Internet service provided by Internet Service Providers outside Hong Kong, or agents who have to receive instructions from overseas clients via the Internet or IDD may have problems."
To provide an assurance to clients, IPD has announced a 'service interruption' with effect from December 27 and ending on December 29, 2006 (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not business days). The effect of the announcement is that anyone who misses a statutory deadline for electronic-filing relating to patents, trademarks or designs due to the 'service interruption' will automatically have a time extension, while those who are able to file successfully will still have a normal, valid filing date.
"This arrangement will minimise the risk that anyone's intellectual property rights could be adversely affected by the current telecommunications problems.
䩕We are announcing these measures by sending a fax to all our registered electronic-filers. We will advise in the fax that clients must prepare to file on paper as from January 2, 2007 if their Internet services are still adversely affected by then. We shall follow up with telephone calls as far as possible," the spokesperson added.
IPD provides extensive electronic services through the Internet for filing of trademark, patent and design applications. There are a total of 90 electronic filers registered with IPD at present. The Department can contact them by other means apart from the Internet.
The public can also read official notices on the electronic Hong Kong Intellectual Property Journal and search for registered rights on the Department's electronic database. IPD's office, located on the 24th Floor, Wu Chung House, 213, Queen's Road East, Wanchai, also accepts paper applications and provides electronic search facilities during office hours (9 am - 5.45 pm) from Mondays to Fridays. For enquiry, please contact IPD at 2961 6901.
Ends/Thursday, December 28, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:45
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