Changes to address for service set to become law
The legal means to bring in changes to the UK IPO address for service rules has today been laid in Parliament.
The ‘statutory instrument’ will remove reference to the European Economic Area (EEA) and will mean that only a UK, Gibraltar or Channel Islands address will be allowed on new proceedings before the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) after 1st January 2021.
Currently a correspondence address within the other 30 countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) could be used in proceedings.
The statutory instrument has been tabled by Minister for IP Amanda Solloway MP. It will come into force on 1st January 2021 unless it is objected to.
Click here to read the statutory instrument
The Government announced last week (19th November) that these changes would be made.
New UK IPO guidance
New guidance on the changes to the rules has been published today (23rd November 2020). The guidance covers details of the proceedings that will require a UK, Gibraltar or Channel Islands address at the UK IPO from 1st January 2021.