The time required to register a trademark in Hong Kong varies depending on the circumstances and, in optimal cases, takes approximately six to twelve months. This estimated time might take turns depending on a number of factors that include completeness of the application, objection from the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), and/or third-party opposition, among others. Essentially, a deep understanding of the process for Trademark Registration in Hong Kong could help the business organizations foresee this timeline and deal with the probabilistic delays in a similarly effortless manner.
A Hong Kong trademark application is filed at the start of the process before the IPD. The IPD first formally examines the application for all the formal requirements, which include whether a mark is distinctive and does not conflict with earlier filed or registered marks. This step of examination usually takes around one or two months.
After the preliminary examination, the trademark application shall be published in the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Journal by the IPD. This will give way to a publication period for public opposition lasting three months. During this period, any third party may oppose the objection by stating that the proposed trademark can be confused with an existing one or possibly creates confusion in the market. The time taken to complete the Hong Kong Trademark Registration process may also be some months more, depending on how the opposition is decided, if there is an opposition.
If there are no objections filed or any opposition that is filed is resolved in one’s favor, the IPD will issue a registration certificate conferring protection. Completion of the Hong Kong Trademark Registration process is thus very important for a business to prevent unauthorized use by competitors seeking to ride on the goodwill of that identity.
In other words, this process of Hong Kong Trademark Registration is expected to take about six to twelve months, and even longer when complications arise. A well-prepared application and follow-through on objections, if any, will facilitate the process and complete the protection needed.