E-FILING SYSTEM IN ITALY

As of May 2015 it is possible to file patents, trademarks, designs, etc. on line at:  servizionline.uibm.gov.it. However, we must admit, the new system is not ‘user friendly’. Apart from some technical problems at the very beginning, we think that it is rather complicated. Of course you need to register to access the system. The registration  is free of charge but it implies, in order to be authored, a procedure in which you also need to sign a proper application ‘digitally’, which might be complicated. If you need to represent a client and file a Power of attorney form, despite the fact that you already registered into the system, you need to – again – digitally sign the Power of Attorney as well, even if the system duly recognize you as the trademark attorney or the lawyer of that specific case.

Good news for the costs which are slightly lower than before but the problem is the payment mean. Just to be more and more complicated, the Italian Trademark Office decided to let the applicant pay in two different ways: as for trademarks, for example, the filing fees (Euro 101 for one class + 34 for each additional class) may be paid through a bank order using a form called F24. You also need to pay Euro 42 for the stamp duty. The evidence of this latter payment is given by providing the Office, while completing the trademark application, with the code written on the stamp duty that you have to buy in a shop (it would be a Tobacco shop)….not yet on line…….

The new system also implies a new numeration for the new filings (as well as registration, renewal, etc) but the filing date is officially given only once the trademark (patent, design , etc.)’s owner receives the confirmation of the payment, which is a problem because you may receive the confirmation after a lot of days; the application takes the date of the actual payment, and if there is any kind of delay in the payment or the like, the date of the application will not be the one of the filing but it will be posterior.

Stay tuned for further news!