A Brand New Way to Register Your TM in Mexico
A Brand New Way to Register Your TM in Mexico
Following the press release of the Mexican Institute for Industrial Property –IMPI-, as of tomorrow, September 28th 2012, the applicants for Trademark Registration in Mexico will have the possibility of filing their applications and conducting follow-ups on the procedure through a web-based platform.
As stated in previous posts from our blog, the platform will be called Marca en Línea –Online Trademark- and will ease the process for filing applications in a similar fashion to the platforms of the Colombian, the Chilean and the Peruvian PTOs. Indeed, there has been a strong regional trend in moving standard applications to online platforms. IP Law Firms and owners of IP assets have broadly welcomed such changes, since it makes it easier to obtain up-to-date information on their applications.
According to the latest press release from the Mexican PTO, the platform will also support applications for Collective Marks, Commercial Names and Ads. As to the security of the platform, the PTO has incorporated a system for electronic signatures called FIEL (Firma electronica avanzada). The PTO’s goals with the online TM registration include reducing the amount of incomplete applications in up to 90% and speeding up the process for registration.
Requirements for the use of the platform.
-To be a registered user of the platform for payments and online services (PASE) of the PTO.
-To have an electronic signature in the FIEL platform.
-To use the .GIF format for images.
-And to use the .PDF format for all documents.
Step by step use of the platform.
This will be the procedure (as explained by the PTO) to file an application:
- Access the web page of the IMPI, select the option Marca en Línea or to access the platform directly through: https://eservicios.impi.gob.mx/seimpi/action/inicio
- Enter the name and password for the PASE platform (Or register, if it’s your first time).
- Enter the required information and attach all necessary documents.
- Make online payment of all fees.
- To include an electronic signature on the application through the FIEL platform.
- Send application and attachments to the PTO.
- And you will get a confirmation of receipt of your application.
As suggested before in this blog, the online registration of trademarks is a step forward in easing and simplifying trademark procedures, but the PTO should also learn from the experiences that the Colombian and Peruvian PTOs have with their own platforms. It is a common complain among Colombian applicants that the online platform is not user-friendly enough, and that uncertainty about whether if attached documents have been sent is very common, usually leading to information requirements by the PTO and delays in the registration process. Compatibility issues with new browsers, such as Google Chrome and mobile platforms should also be addressed.
