In response to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which is responsible for the registration of EU trademarks and designs, announced today it is "extending all time limits expiring between 9 March and 30 April, that affect all parties before the Office to 1 May 2020".
Cooley's trademark practitioners and prosecution staff continue to work, combining remote-based working with services provided direct from our offices as appropriate. It is our intention to continue to docket deadlines as normal (i.e., with the "original" deadlines) and, where possible, to meet these original deadlines. This will help us to avoid any bandwidth issues (with the EUIPO, with our clients and within our team) given that a number of deadlines will now be consolidated on 1 May.
However, as the situation with COVID-19 develops, there may be practical reasons where we, or our clients, cannot meet the original deadlines – in which case we now have the security of the later 1 May 2020 deadline.
As things stand, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has not taken any similar measures – and deadlines relating to UK trademarks and designs remain unchanged. However, the UKIPO has said it will consider requests for extensions of time "as favourably as possible" on a case-by-case basis.
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