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The Intellectual Property Department (IPD) today (November 28) launched interactive electronic services for renewal of registered trademarks and patents, as well as for keeping patent application data up-to-date.
The new service, which enables users to complete transactions securely in real time like e-banking services, is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The first interactive form for renewal of a trademark was received and approved at 5.13am. For Patents, the first interactive form for renewal of a granted patent was received and approved at 5.38am.
：Customers using ．electronic intellectual property services・ file applications to us on the Internet, and then IPD staff process the applications later. But with interactive services, customers can make alterations to the patent or trademark databases themselves, a spokesman for the IPD said.
：The new system cuts out double-handling of data, so it reduces the chance of errors. Ultimately, less staff intervention will be needed in the process, so patent and trademark examiners can concentrate on other areas of work.；
IPD will extend the interactive services to include changes of name, address, agent・s address and address for service in January, 2006.
Electronic filing services for trademarks and for patents and designs were launched in December, 2003, and May, 2004, respectively. The electronic filing services have been well received by users as reflected by the migration rate from paper-filing to electronic filing of applications for registration. For trademarks applications, the migration rate has reached 62% in August 2005.
Further information on the interactive services is posted on the IPD・s website at http://www.ipd.gov.hk/eng/whats_new/news.htm.
Ends/Monday, November 28, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:09
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