MARQUES has submitted comments to the second consultation on the UK Intellectual Property Office’s Transformation Programme.

The comments are available to read and download on the MARQUES Position Papers page.

The UKIPO’s One IPO Transformation Programme was launched in 2021 to modernise, rationalise and improve its processes, systems and services. A first consultation was held in 2022 and led to the introduction of new patent services this year.

The second consultation covered six areas, spanning trade marks, designs, mediation and certain other matters. It was open until 31 October 2023.

One of the topics covered is the introduction of an online inspection service for trade marks and design documents: MARQUES is generally supportive of an EUIPO-like file, but notes the importance of maintaining the appropriate level of confidentiality

Another topic is reform of series marks. MARQUES considers series marks to be highly beneficial and believes the proposal to reduce the number of marks that can constitute a series would be prejudicial to trade mark applications who file legitimate series applications with up to six marks. Ideally, maintaining the option for up to six marks would be preferable while reducing it to four marks would be acceptable. Setting the limit to two marks would be too restrictive.

The response was compiled by members of the MARQUES European Trade Mark Law and Practice Team and the MARQUES Designs Team. Contributors included Roland Mallinson (sub-Team lead and coordinator and editor of the submission), Philippa Bailey, Sally Britton, Stephanie Taylor, Paolo Andreottola, Julia Marke and MARQUES External Relations Officer Alessandra Romeo.

“Many thanks to everyone who worked on this submission. We look forward to seeing what proposals the UKIPO brings forward and will provide an update to MARQUES members in due course,” said Roland Mallinson, member of the MARQUES Executive and the European Trade Mark Law and Practice Team.