Law Practice Directions

We issue Law Practice Directions to provide additional guidance on the conduct of adversarial proceedings before us.

The Directions are issued to cover matters of practice in addition to those in the Trade Marks Work Manual, or to reinforce the practice as stated in that manual. Any changes to practice will be incorporated into the Work Manual.

The Directions normally arise as a result of issues raised in a decided case or from an interlocutory decision.

• Extensions of Time in Inter Partes Proceedings
• Opposition proceedings under the Trade Marks Act 1994
• Inter partes proceedings before the Registrar
• Opposition: abandonment of proceedings
• Confidentiality of evidence filed in inter partes proceedings
• Hearsay evidence
• Inter partes actions before the Registrar: Extension of time practice
• Requests for Statement of grounds of decisions of the Registrar
• Security for costs under Rule 61 of the Trade Marks Rules 2000
• Registrar’s direction in relation to Extensions of time
• Enforcement of awards of costs by OHIM
• Interlocutory hearings: Extension of time requests
• Video tapes exhibited in evidence in inter partes proceedings before the Registrar
• Substitution of opponents in inter partes proceedings
• Evidence and case files in inter partes proceedings before the Registrar
• Abolition of the Trade Marks and Service Marks Rules 1986 in respect of inter partes proceedings before the registrar
• Hearings on ex parte matters involving Counsel