The Canadian Trademarks Office announced on April 6, 2022, that it would begin automating the analysis of products, services, and Nice categorization information in national unexamined trademark applications in order to reduce examination and registration wait times in Canada.
Last year, the Office began assessing new trademark applications more swiftly if they were filed using a pre-approved list of goods and services, as part of a series of initiatives to minimize wait periods. The Goods and Services Manual has been increased to 109,437 entries to do this. At the moment, trademark applications filed utilizing the pre-approved list have a 15-month wait time for review compared to other applications.
Trademark applications filed using the pre-approved list have a wait time
The Office will now provide an automated pre-assessment of goods, services, and Nice classification information contained in all national unexamined trademark applications to encourage applicants to file a new application or amend an existing unexamined application using the pre-approved list of goods and services.
The Office will send out pre-assessment letters informing applicants or their designated trademark agent of the automated analysis results. Depending on the outcome, the letter will state if the application contains the following information: acceptable goods or services; goods or services that are not classed; an improper Nice class; unacceptable goods or services; or a combination of the above.
Depending on the nature of the pre-assessment letter, the applicant may elect to revise the application and submit it with the pre-approved list of items, which will speed up the review process. According to the Office, if the automatic analysis decides that the application contains suitable items or services without using the pre-approved list, the application’s investigation will be accelerated. It’s vital to emphasize that applicants are not obligated to respond to automated letters in any way.
Cassels was chosen as part of a small group of law firms and trademark agents to participate in the initiative’s pilot phase. We shall provide our clients with free access to the Office’s automated pre-assessment letters.
Main key: Canadian Trademarks Office Rolls Out Automated Analysis To Expedite Examination
Key: Nice classification, national unexamined trademark applications, new trademark applications, a pre-approved list of goods and services, trademark applications, the pre-approved list, an automated pre-assessment of goods
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