The European Union Intellectual Property Office once again issued a decision to extend the time limits of the trademark and design applications for the applicants from the People’s Republic of China in the European Union during the special period of the outbreak of coronavirus disease on 2 March 2020.

    A Decision NO EX-20-1 has been issued on 14 February 2020 by the European Union Intellectual Property Office in response to EU trademark and design applicants, oppositions,  invalidation and other cases from the People’s Republic of China to the office.  According to the Decision No EX-20-1,  the legal period can be extended to 29 February 2020 if the original legal period of the relevant cases are between 30 January 2020 and 28 February 2020.

    On 2 March 2020, the European Union Intellectual Property Office issued a Decision No EX-20-2 once again to further extend the time limits of the trademark and design applications for Chinese applicants in the European Union.  The decision indicates that cases with a legal period between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2020 (including 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2020) can be extended to 1April 2020.