Coronavirus advice for rights applicants
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) continues to support any customers affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The IPO will take whatever measures we can to support any rights applicants, rights holders and representatives who have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Can deadlines be extended?
The IPO will extend time periods where national and international legislation allows. We are willing to support affected customers using the discretionary powers available to us.
Extensions of time
The IPO is willing to consider requests for extensions of time as favourably as possible on a case-by-case basis.
Loss of rights due to failure to meet a time period
Where a failure to meet a time period has resulted in a loss of rights, those rights may be reinstated or restored in certain circumstances.
The UK’s intellectual property legislation does not provide any single provision for all situations that may arise. Legal provisions depend on the nature of the late response and the circumstances of the delay. Where the reasons for the delay are related to the pandemic we will consider these reasons as favourably as possible within the law. IPO staff can explain the options available and how reinstatement or restoration procedures work.
For more information or to request an extension, customers should:
- contact the named officer or section dealing with their application
- contact the IPO Information Centre at [email protected] or telephone on 0300 300 2000
Updates to this page
Published 11 March 2020Last updated 2 March 2021 + show all updates
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Updating information as we prepare for the end of the temporary fee reductions to reflect ongoing support for rights holders
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First published.