UK IP Office Consults On Modernisation Of Trademark Rules

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

03 March 2008

The UK Intellectual Property Office announced on Monday that it has launched a consultation on modernising and consolidating trademark rules.

The UK's Trade Marks Rules 2000 have been amended seven times since they came into force, and these amendments have led to some unnecessary duplication and possible causes of confusion, according to the UK-IPO.

It therefore stated that:

"We propose to produce a new consolidated edition of the Rules, also incorporating a number of changes. This consolidation has four purposes:

• Consolidation of existing changes to the Trade Marks Rules 2000 in order to increase accessibility and remove existing duplication, inconsistency and possible confusion.
• Bringing the UK fully into line with international best practice and enabling ratification of the Singapore Treaty on Trade Mark Law.
• Making the tribunal system more flexible, efficient and proportionate.
• Introducing business changes so as to increase the speed and efficiency of processes and reduce costs.

We would be very interesting in receiving the widest possible range of views on the attached proposals."

The deadline for responses to the consultation is May 26th, 2008.

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