Patent Office Updates You Need to Know (March 2, 2021)
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. The following are a few recent updates.
As always, a complete list of countries may be found in our Google Document.
Update Highlights
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The Supreme Court will hear all oral arguments scheduled for the March session by telephone conference.
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The Federal Circuit will begin streaming live audio of select panels in March. The Federal Circuit announced on Thursday that it would be the latest court to livestream arguments on YouTube, starting with a handful of cases next month that include two high-profile Apple patent fights.
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The Australian IP Office has updated its COVID-19 measures following recent outbreaks in the country. It confirms that the streamlined process for extension of time requests is available until at least March 31, 2021.
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The German Patent Office has advised applicants of longer processing times for trade mark applications.
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The Georgian IP Office (Sakpatenti) has reduced the fees for trademark applications filed online by 50% until June 7, 2021.
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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 attorneys and professionals are counseling our clients in the myriad issues related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We have also established a comprehensive Coronavirus 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.
