Pursuant to our previous post on this subject, the Fiji Parliament has passed the aforementioned Bills, which have now become the Trade Marks Act 2021, the Patents Act 2021 and the Designs Act 2021.   Although the Acts have been passed, their provisions have yet to commence, as the accompanying Regulations have not yet been published.  We hope to be advised of the commencement date(s) shortly.  Further information will be posted as soon as it has been received. For more...

The Nauru Trade Marks Act came into force in November 2020. However, due to an initial lack of official forms, or a procedure for payment of official fees, it has not been possible to file trade mark applications until now. The new law allows for the registration of applications in a single class of goods or services; multiclass applications will not be permitted. It is an examination system, and the Registry has the power to refuse applications on absolute or relative grounds. Applications...

The fourth amendment of the Chinese Patent Law (2020) will shortly come into effect, on 6th June 2021. A couple of points of particular significance to note about the new provisions of the law are as follows:   Designs: - A partial design system is introduced into the law; - The protection period of design patent sis extended to 15 years; - A domestic priority system for design patents is provided for.   Compensation for Patent Term - If the patenting procedure is delayed due to...