The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) wishes to enable its clients to register, manage and pay for trade marks, patents and designs online quickly and easily. To this end, it is gradually introducing new online services.

 

A new platform is now available that allows trade mark applicants and holders to apply for protection in more than 120 countries. Thanks to the extension of protection available under the Madrid System, applications are registered by the World Intellectual Property Organization and transmitted to the applicant’s chosen countries, where they are then examined. Such international applications accounted for around 3,500 of the 19,000 trade mark applications submitted in Switzerland in 2021.

 

It was possible to apply for international trade mark registration online in the past too, but it was by no means so easy. The IPI’s newest online service is linked to the Trade Mark Database, which means that all the data on the basic trade mark is imported directly. Trade mark applicants are guided through the international application process step by step. They can save their data at any point and continue later or share their application with others via a link. Attachments can be uploaded directly. Moreover, the IPI no longer needs to enter data manually, so it can start to examine the application straight away.

 

Key component – Trade Mark Database

The new ‘Application for international registration’ is available via a direct link and via the Trade Mark Database. This database, which the IPI initiated in 2020, enables all interested parties to search for protected national and international trade marks and trade mark applications in Switzerland quickly and easily. They can also apply directly for register changes via the Trade Mark Database.

 

The IPI regularly invites trade mark attorneys, patent attorneys and other users to provide feedback when it develops online services. It can thus ensure that the final services really meet their needs and that the process of registering and managing trade marks, patents and designs is as pleasant as possible.

 

Do you have any comments or questions about the new application for international registration? We look forward to receiving your email.

 

Please note that the application is available in German, French and Italian only.