Member Article

Did you know?

The Trade Marks (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 (the “Amendment Ordinance”) recently came into effect in Hong Kong on 19 June 2020.

The purpose of the legislation is to bring in the Madrid Protocol in Hong Kong and also to enhance the trade mark registration system. Although the actual implementation of the Madrid Protocol remains at least 2 years away, one important practical amendment concerns the requirement for applicants to indicate the Applicant Type and Place of Incorporation when filing a trade mark application.

Why does this matter to you?

In the past, it was not necessary to indicate the applicant type and the place of incorporation on filing. However, the Amendment Ordinance now requires applicants to provide details of the “applicant type” and the “country/territory/area of incorporation” at the time of filing. For applicants incorporated in the United States, the state of incorporation must be provided.

At the time of writing, it is mandatory to indicate the applicant type on the application. As it may affect the date of filing, it is important to provide this information to us in advance to ensure a smooth and prompt application.

Applicants applying to record a trade mark assignment are also required to provide such information, without which the recordal cannot proceed.

If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact us at [email protected].