The amendment to the First Schedule of the Registered Designs Rules reflects revision in fees for Form D8 - Application for Extension of period of Registration of a Design. These changes in fees will come into effect from 1 December 2011.
The Patents (Amendment) Rules 2011 has have been gazetted and will come into force on 1 Dec 2011. The following is a summary of the amendments to the Patents Rules:
- A change in the name of the Hungarian Patent Office to the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office under rule 2(3).
- New rule 88A on a new procedure for hearings in inter partes proceedings and a new form (Patents Form 40A) for notifying the Registrar of intention to attend such a hearing
- Revised fees for certain items in the First Schedule
The Trade Mark (Amendment) Rules 2011 amend the Trade Marks Rules (R 1, 2008 Ed.) (the "TM Rules") and the Trade Mark (International Registration) Rules [the "TM (IR) Rules"] as follows:
(a) Amendment of Rules 15 and 16 of the TM Rules, to come into effect from 1 November 2011.
(b) Amendment of the First Schedule of the TM Rules, to come into effect from 1 December 2011.
(c) Amendment to the First Schedule of the TM (IR) Rules to come into effect from 1 December 2011.
(d) Amendment of the Third Schedule of the TM Rules, to come into effect from 1 January 2012.
Rules 15 and 16 have been amended with a view to capture various types of non-traditional trade marks applications in addition to 3D shape marks and colour marks. The amendments to Rule 15 and 16 result from the amendment to the Regulations concerning the details concerning a trade mark application under the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks.
The rationale for this amendment is to provide for adequate means of representation of non-traditional marks avoiding procedural requirements that would be too prescriptive or onerous for applicants.
The amendment to the First Schedule reflects revision in fees in respect of the following forms: TM1, TM4, TM42, TM11, TM12, TM13 and TM28.The amendment reflects revision of fees in respect of form MP1. The amendment to the Third Schedule reflects changes to the Class headings and items thereunder brought about as a result of the upcoming 10th Edition of the Nice Classification.