WIPO has published details of amendments to the Administrative Instructions for the Hague System, which come into effect on 1 April 2022.

The amendments were discussed at the 10^th meeting of the Working Group on the Legal Development of the Hague System in December 2021, at which MARQUES was represented. They are published in Information Notice No 4/2022.

The amendments address three main points:

• Signature requirements (section 202): Accepted formats for signature will now also include typed signature, including text-string signature (s-signature).
• Contact details (sections 301 and 302): Optional contact details will no longer include fax number, email address (it is now mandatory to provide an email address) or a different postal address for correspondence. In cases where there are multiple applicants or new owners, and no representative, an email address (instead of postal) will be required for correspondence.
• Time limit for requesting the recording of a limitation or renunciation to prevent publication of all or some designs (section 601): The three-week time limit now explicitly applies to requests for recording of a limitation or renunciation for international registrations that are subject to standard publication.

Read more about the amendments on WIPO’s website here.