It's Good To Talk (With An Examiner)

According to a recent article from the European Union Intellectual property Office (EUIPO), in 2021 EUIPO examiners took over 9,000 phone calls from trade mark and design applicants.

The ability to speak directly with the person examining your application for an EU trade mark or design can be a real advantage, helping to reduce prosecution time, and therefore costs. And with a commitment to return your call within 5 hours if the examiner is unavailable, the EUIPO appears to be leading the way in terms of customer-centric operation.

We have seen similar trends in recent times at the UKIPO, with many patent examination reports now including a paragraph that encourages applicants to schedule an audio or video call with the examiner, "to clarify objections and hence result in more efficient processing of an application".