The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) recently announced that, since May 1, 2020, a Fast Track Examination Program will automatically apply to any trademark application that meets the following requirements:
- The application is filed via TIPO’s e-filing system;
- The applied-for mark is a two-dimensional mark. (In other words, this program does not apply to an application for non-traditional trademark, certification mark, collective mark, or collective trademark.);
- All designated goods/services in the application are listed in TIPO’s e-filing system;
- The application is linked to a pre-designated bank account for payment of government fees; and
- A signed Power of Attorney is submitted concurrently with the application.
According to TIPO, a trademark application that satisfies the above requirements will enter the stage of substantive examination 1.5 months earlier than an application that does not. It is not necessary to file a request or pay extra official fee to trigger a Fast Track Examination.
In addition to the Fast Track Examination Program which only applies to certain types of applications, the TIPO has proposed to introduce into the Trademark Act an all-inclusive expedited examination system that would apply to all types of applications. However, the proposed amendments to the Trademark Act have yet to be sent to Taiwan’s Congress for discussion.