6.4.4.1 Supervision

There should be adequate supervision and control by the owner to ensure, as far as practical, that the goods or services bearing the mark have the required characteristics.

The regulations should provide for the adequate inspection of the goods in the course of manufacture or for the inspection of samples, or any other method that will ensure that the goods offered for sale comply with the stated characteristics. The draft regulations should include the checks that are in place and the timeframe in which inspections will occur. The Examiner will consider these in the context of whether the applicant is competent to certify the goods or services.

An owner may issue the authorised user with a licence or certificate as evidence of their authority to use the mark. This document should state if it is of a limited duration, when it should be renewed and the circumstances in which the owner may cancel it. A copy of this form may be attached to the regulations.

The provision of a register of authorised users and a programme for checking standards would indicate that the owner is adequately supervising and controlling the use of the mark.