Highlights

• Patent Expedited Examination Procedure An applicant may now request for an approval of expedited examination of his application once his application has been made available for public inspection. The Registrar may approve such requests subject to reasonable grounds. The approximate processing time for expedited examinatin is two (2) months for the first office action from the date of receipt of request for expedited examination provided that the application is statutory compliant. Once the Registrar is satisfied that the application complies with the Act, the Registrar shall issue a clear report and grant the patent within five (5) working days from the notification of clear report by the Registrar.
• Trademark Expedited Examination ProcedureAn applicant may now request for an approval of expedited examination of his application within four (4) months from the date of filing of the application by filing the relevant forms. This request must be supported by an affidavit or statutory declaration setting out the specific circumstances and reasons for the request as stated in the new Regulations. The Registrar may approve such requests subject to reasonable grounds. If no objections are raised by the Registrar, the application will be advertised for two (2) months for opposition purposes and if no opposition occurs, the application will be accepted for registration.
• Amendment to IP legislation With effect from 15th February 2011, the fees and forms for all applications and requests in connection with patent or utility innovation under the Patents Act 1983 will be subject to the Patents (Amendment) Regulations 2011. Similarly, with effect from 15th February 2011, the fees and forms for all applications and requests in connection with trademarks under the Trademarks Act 1976 will be subject to the Trademarks (Amendment) Regulations 2011.
• About Abasan ABASAN is a boutique intellectual property firm that provides a wide range of specialist intellectual property services. Our founding partners are established specialists in the field of intellectual property and have experiences in excess of 30 years as counsel and consultant. Over the years we have built an extensive network and client base and we are continuously expanding. We are also part of an established network of intellectual property associates from across the globe.