Present developments regarding the new Corona virus (COVID-19)

Status Update Shortcuts: Prüfer & Partner | GPTO | EPO | EUIPO | WIPO

Circular letter of March 10, 2020

Due to the developments in the past days here in Germany, our goal is to prevent any harm from our employee's health and to continue the services of our law firm with best efforts. At present, the good news is that each and every one of us is healthy and we believe that the present situation is not dangerous for our staff and their families. And, of course, we hope that it will stay like this. However, by considering the daily news, the fact that there are a few cases of Covid-19 even in Munich and having in mind the developments in other countries, it seems to be a good idea to have an emergency strategy in case the situation becomes worse.

Two weeks ago, we started with preventive measures e.g. by implementing the hygienic recommendations of WHO and other organizations in our firm. From the technical side, our IT department ensured that most of our attorneys and staff will be able to work in home office in order to continue our work in a virtual office. Due to the transformation to digital processes in the past years, we estimate that most of our services will stay in operation even if we will be forced to close our physical office for some days or weeks. Beside our own operability, a lot of IP services depend on the IP offices. We carefully monitor the IPOs activities and we will keep you informed as soon as there will be any restrictions and their impacts, for example, to running deadlines.

In order to allow a timely and up-to-date information, we will show the current status of all relevant information on this page. 
 


We wish you, your loved ones and colleagues the all best! Stay healthy.

Dr. Dorothea Hofer, Jürgen Feldmeier, Dr. Andreas Oser, Andreas Jacob

Our Office Availability via:

last status check: 2021/03/10, 10:00 / last change: 2021/03/10, 10:00
e-mail✓ as usual
fax✓ as usual
mail✓ as usual
phone✓ as usual
live meeting in our office⚐
Most of our staff is operating by working remotely. Only a skeleton crew is present in the office. In the entire building, you must wear a FFP2 mask.
online meeting✓ as usual
travelling✓ as usual

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 GPTO:

last status check: 2021/03/10, 15:17 / last change: 2020/10/20, 15:17
Related servicesOur statusNotes
Utility Models✓ as usual
  • The GPTO stopped scheduling hearings.
  • The physical access to the GPTO is restricted again. In all public areas of the GPTO in Munich, it is mandatory to wear a cloth face mask.
  • Information centres, research rooms and the Initital Inventor Consultations are closed again.
German Patents✓ as usual
German Trademarks✓ as usual
International Registrations based on German Trademarks✓ as usual
International Registrations designating Germany✓ as usual
German Designs✓ as usual
Payment of annuities

✓ as usual

               

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EPO:

last status check: 2021/03/10, 10:00 / last change: 2020/12/23, 15:17
Related servicesOur statusGeneral Notes
European Patents✓ as usual
  • Oral proceedings in the premises of the Boards of Appeal will may be rescheduled. A maximum of 2 persons per party is allowed. Upon request, oral proceedings may be held by videoconference.
  • Oral proceedings before opposition divisions will only take place as a video conference with effect from 04.01.2021.
  • Oral proceedings before examining divisions will continue to be held by videoconference.
  • The physical access to the EPO is restriced for persons who recently visited high risk areas.
  • The EPO intends to organze all events online until December 2021.
Payment of annuities✓ as usual

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EUIPO:

last status check: 2021/03/21, 10:00 / last change: 2020/05/18, 10:28
Related servicesOur statusNotes
EU Trademarks✓ as usual
  • All time limits in proceedings before the Offices expiring between 9 March 2020 and 17 May 2020 are extended until 18 May 2020 (afterwards, timelimits will be as usual).
  • The EUIPO communicated that the extension of time limits shall apply to: 
    • time limits set by any instance of the Office, in any proceeding before the EUIPO, including its Boards of Appeal
    • time limits imposed directly by the EUTMR, the EUTMIR or the EUTMDR as well as CDR and CDIR
    • including those originating from the Paris Convention or other International Treaties, and
    • regardless of whether they are excluded from restitutio in integrum 
  • Important: Please consider that the Office's opinion may be overruled by Court Decisions of ECJ later: It is questionable whether the Office has the legal competence to extend deadlines that cannot be extended by law, e.g. the opposition period, and which are excluded from restitutio in integrum. Regarding other terms, even if the Office's extension should be found void by a Court's Decision later, the restitutio in integrum may be the fallback position.
  • EUIPO continues all its services electronically.
  • EUIPO's headquarters are closed because of the 'state of alarm' in Spain.
  • The EUIPO postponed all events.




EU Designs✓ as usual
International Registrations based on EU Trademarks✓ as usual
International Registrations designating the EU✓ as usual
Payment of annuities✓ as usual

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WIPO:

last status check: 2021/03/10, 10:00 / last change: 2021/01/22, 15:04 / last change: 2020/03/17, 13:13

Related services

Our statusNotes
PCT Applications✓ as usual
  • Closure of all WIPO premises for the public and strengthening remote work for WIPO employees.



IR Trademarks✓ as usual
IR Designs✓ as usual
Payment of annuities✓ as usual

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