Patent Office Updates You Need to Know (August 11, 2020)

As part of our dedication to helping our clients stay up-to-date on the ever-changing landscape as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve compiled the following highlights of changes to patent, trademark, and copyright operations around the world.  

As always, a complete list of countries may be found in our Google Document.

Update Highlights

• The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced that all in-person events through December 31 will take place online, unless indicated otherwise.
• The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has announced its final extension of designated days, with the agency confirming that any deadlines and fee payment dates falling between 16 March and 21 August 2020 are automatically extended until August 24, 2020.
• CIPO updated on August 5, 2020 a number of FAQs related to proceedings before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, available here.
• The Brazilian IP Office (INPI) has informed users that it has postponed face-to-face work until at least September due to the "evolution of the fight against covid-19."

• Other general closures & deadline extensions have been added to the document.

If you have any patent or trademark questions during this time, do not hesitate to contact us.

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Vorys COVID-19 Task Force

Vorys has established a comprehensive COVID-19 Task Force, which includes attorneys with deep experience in the niche disciplines that we have been and expect to continue receiving questions regarding coronavirus. Learn more and see the latest updates from the task force at vorys.com/coronavirus.