New online facility for International Trade Marks

10 December 2012

Welcome to IPONZ’s new 100% online case management facility for International Trade Marks. The facility is intuitive and easy-to-use and makes filing an international trade mark application with IPONZ as your office of origin easy.

What do you need to know?

1. You need to become a registered user to access most of IPONZ’s online case management facility.

To logon to the new facility click on the “Do it now” tab from the IPONZ homepage or click on the igovt logon button.

2. The navigation bar in your inbox has been simplified.

The inbox navigation bar on the left hand side of your inbox has been simplified so that all functions for a division e.g. trade marks, will now sit under that division heading. For example, if you wish to search the trade marks Register click the heading trade marks and you will be presented with this option.

Read more about how to use your inbox.
 

3. The Trade Marks Amendment Regulations 2012 and the Trade Marks (International Registration) Regulations 2012 are also coming into force today.

The following are important changes that you need to know:

Regulations to give effect to the Madrid Protocol 

• New Zealand will have a 100% electronic system including an electronic version of the MM2 form.
• New Zealand will not be charging a certification fee for international applications.
• International fees must be paid directly to WIPO, not through IPONZ.
• An address for service in New Zealand is required when responding to a provisional refusal to a New Zealand designation for protection or when acting in a proceeding.

Regulation amendments to comply with Singapore Treaty relief measures

• Applicants may now request ‘continued processing’ within two months of missed a deadline to revive an abandoned application. It can be requested via IPONZ’s online case management facility at the same time as uploading the overdue response to a compliance report. “Continued Proceeding’ is only available only once per application.

Authorisation of agent

• This can be provided 1 month after the submission if the Principal is based in New Zealand or 2 months if the Principal is based overseas.

Amendments to enable New Zealand to accede to the Nice Agreement 

• New Zealand has been using the Nice Classification system of goods and services for many years. However, the new regulations were required to give the Commissioner the power to require owners of trade marks classified in the 3rd Schedule to convert them to the latest version of the Nice Classification so we could accede to the Agreement.

Fees

• The new fees schedule will be in effect on 10 December 2012.

Mandated electronic communications through the IPONZ’s case management facility

• It will now be mandatory for applicants to communicate with IPONZ through its online case management facility. Read more about our services.

Miscellaneous amendments to improve the operation of the regulations

• It will now be possible to add further classes of goods or services up until the acceptance of a trade mark. This is not retrospective and will only apply to trade marks filed on or after 10 December 2012.
• You will now be able to divide a trade mark registration.

For more information:

• Trade Marks (International Registration) Regulations 2012
• Trade Marks Amendment Regulations 2012
• Main changes from the trade mark law reform 2012

What next?

Subscribe to our email update service to keep up to date with the world of Intellectual Property and our online system.