Important information for our customers

This page is updated regularly.
Last update: 6th April, 2020 16:45

Slowing down the spread of the coronavirus is currently the primary goal throughout Austria. We can all contribute to this. That is why we in the Patent Office are taking the following measures:

Opening hours and Information in the customer service center

Unfortunately, the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic do not even stop at the Patent Office. Due to essential quarantine measures, the physical availability of our employees in the Office is limited. While we are concentrating our efforts all the more being available to you electronically, we have tu suspend the processing of your paperwork for the moment.

What does that mean in practice:

1. Until further notice, customer traffic at the entry point in the customer service center is suspended - this means that handing over entries in person is not possible at the moment.
2. The mailbox at the entrance of the patent office (Dresdner Straße 87, 1200 Vienna) is closed until further notice.
3. However, the receiving office will take care of all entries that we receive by mail. Unfortunately, these entries cannot be processed any further at the moment.

Hence our appeal to you: Please use - whereever possible - our online options. You will find all online services sorted by topic under www.patentamt.at/online-services

You can reach us by telephone MO - FR 9:00 - 12:00 at

+43 1 534 24 - 305

Or you can write to us at

infonoSpam(at)patentamt.at

Deadline extension

Legal deadlines ("4. COVID-19-GESETZ")

The statutory time limits laid down in the Patent Act 1970, Protection Certificate Act 1996, Semiconductor Protection Act, Utility Model Act, Patent Agreements Introduction Act, Trademark Protection Act 1970 and Design Protection Act 1990 have been extended as follows

The period from March 16, 2020 to the expiry of April 30, 2020 shall not be included in the period in which a request is to be filed, a declaration made or an act performed.

In contrast to the deadlines for appeal and official deadlines, the beginning of the deadline is not reset, but remains unchanged. The expiration of the deadline is postponed by the time that lies within the period from March 16, 2020 to the expiration of April 30, 2020.

These deadlines are subject to a so-called deadline suspension. Simplified, this means that the deadline stops running (March 16, 2020 up to and including April 30, 2020 = 46 days) and continues after the period of suspension. If only part of a deadline (at the beginning or at the end) falls within the period from March 16, 2020 to April 30, 2020 inclusive, only the part is added.

The aim is to ensure that, as a result, the original deadline is available in full for the assertion of rights.

Attention! There is no extension of

• Deadlines under the Patent Office Fees Act for the payment of annuity or renewal fees (without prejudice to the possibility of a request for restitutio in integrum into a grace period for the payment of these fees)
• Time limits due to EU law

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Time Limits for appeals ("2. COVID-19-GESETZ")

Time limits for appeals which have not yet expired by March 22, 2020 will also be interrupted until April 30, 2020 in accordance with the Federal Act on Accompanying Measures for COVID-19 in the Judiciary. They will begin to run anew on May 1, 2020 (from the beginning).

Official deadlines ("Patentamts-COVID-19-Verordnung")

All open official time limits still open on March 16, 2020 in proceedings before the Patent Office (e.g. time limits for comments on notices or time limits for the submission of a counter-statement in bilateral proceedings) were interrupted by ordinance until April 30, 2020. They will start anew on May 1, 2020 (in principle from the beginning), although the Patent Office may also set an appropriate new deadline from May 1, 2020.

Trademark services

Due to the current exceptional situation we are forced to change our procedures. Therefore, there may be delays in the provision of the Austrian Patent Service in the trademark services (trademark similarity search, Pre Check Trademark). We try to limit these to a few individual cases and ask for your understanding.

Patent Voucher dates

We suggest you to check all already dates

• at a later date or
• by telephone. In addition to a telephone call, we can also arrange a personal appointment at a later date - at no extra cost of you, of course.

discover.IP

As with the patent voucher dates, we can offer to make your discover.IP dates either

• at a later date or
• via skype or telephone. In addition we can also arrange a personal appointment at a later date.

IP Academy courses and workshops

We have also decided to suspend the IP Academy courses and workshops until 30th April 2020. But don't worry. The knowledge will stay there and we will be able to offer you further training events on patents, trademarks and designs again as soon as possible.

Library

The reading room of our library will be closed until 15th April 2020. You can send us your request to bibliothek(at)patentamt.at.

We ask for your understanding for the measures we have taken, and we ask for your help - only together can we slow down the spread of the coronavirus.

Design Gazette March 2020

The design gazette March 2020 with publication date 20th March 2020 must be suspended due to the anti-COVID measures. The next issue is to be published as combined no. 3-4 on 20th April 2020.

Your patent office team

Information from other Offices:

• Europäisches Patentamt (EPO)
• Amt der Europäischen Union für Geistiges Eigentum (EUIPO)
• Weltorganisation für Geistiges Eigentum (WIPO)