Staggering times call for staggered Trademark Registration costs
It’s been an interesting and, some might say, peculiar past few months with the national lockdown, and all the panic (and subsequent loss of patience) surrounding Covid-1
9 and the South African lockdown (ir)regulations. It is as though we’ve been hurtled like hitchhikers through a parallel universe without any guide from the powers that be.
At a time when the judiciary and high courts decided to take a step forward and go online with ‘Caselines’, the CIPC (which was already online) staggeringly decided to go offline.
For many entrepreneurs and businesses, this was a bitter pill to swallow as it simply means more frustration while waiting for registration of new companies and trademarks, which are often paid for in one financial year and only registered in another, if at all.
But don’t panic! KWIP’s got your back when it comes to all things CIPC. We’ve accordingly staggered our trademark registration fees, deferring the cost of advertising and certification until it actually happens, because we don’t want our clients to incur the full costs of registering a trademark upfront during these trying times.
The initial discounted trademark application fee is this significantly reduced and includes a complimentary consultation (which, during the Covid-19 pandemic, can be handled remotely via telephone, Skype, or Zoom).
Once the application is made, your mark will either be accepted or refused, with or without conditions (otherwise known as Official Action)— this happens more often than not and this is when things become a tad tricky, which is why it’s always a good idea to use trademark specialists to anticipate the pitfalls the from the outset.
Normally one would have three months to respond and extending this period requires a substantive application for condonation. Of course, the lockdown threw a spanner in the works in this regard as, if received prior to the first phase thereof, the period may have lapsed. Not to worry though, we have got you “covid” with the “tricks of the trade(mark)” as well as the commercial and tax law expertise to commercialise, externalise and mitigate taxation of your IP.
If you’d like us to help to guide you through the intricacies, you can contact us at ip@kwplaw.co.za
Feel free to share & share-a-like or comment below.
Leave a Reply