Consultation outcome

Address for Service rules changes: call for views

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 27 July 2020
• Last updated: 19 November 2020 — See all updates

This consultation has concluded

Detail of outcome

There were 1068 responses to the consultation.

These were from intellectual property attorneys, and organisations representing attorneys. A significant majority of those responding were supportive of the proposal to change the address for service rules. The government will now make the appropriate changes to the rules.

The government would like to thank everyone who responded.

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Original consultation

Summary

The IPO is calling for views on proposed changes to the Address for Service rules. This will cover patents, trade marks and designs.

This consultation ran from
2pm on 27 July 2020 to 11:45pm on 14 August 2020

Consultation description

The IPO is seeking views on proposed changes to the Address for Service (AfS) rules. The changes will remove the reference to the European Economic Area. This means that only UK or Channel Island AfSs will be accepted.

This will apply to new applications for patents, trade marks and designs. It will apply to requests for hearings. It will also apply to requests to start potentially contentious proceedings. Proceedings relating to unregistered designs are included. It will not apply to such actions which are lodged with the IPO before the end of the Transition Period.

Please respond using our Call For Views consultation.

Documents

Government response to call for views on Address for Service (AfS)

HTML

Published 27 July 2020
Last updated 19 November 2020 + show all updates

1. 19 November 2020

   Government response on call to views: Address for Service added.

2. 27 July 2020

   First published.