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ARTICLE · 08 FEBRUARY 2020

Recent changes to New Zealand trade mark law

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Summary of the recent changes to NZ Trade Mark law.

AustraliaIntellectual Property
Andrew Lockhart
Andrew Lockhart
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Trade mark owners should be aware of recent amendments to the New Zealand Trade Marks Act 2002 (TM Act), introduced under the Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment (No.2) Act. These changes, which came into effect on 13 January 2020, are summarised below.

Renewal Grace Period

The grace period to renew a New Zealand trade mark registration after its due date for renewal has expired ("expiry date") has been reduced from 12 months to 6 months.

While in this 6-month grace period a trade mark will show the status of "registered-past expiry date" on the Register and, if is not renewed within 6-month grace period, will then be removed from the Register and cease to have effect.

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