论发达国家中哪家商标审查速度最慢！

How about the examination timelines for new trademark filings at CIPO

加拿大商标审查周期有多长？

As of June 17, 2019, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) introduced the new Trademark Law. Despite great changes since then, questions about the timeline to first substantive examination have persisted and grown. Under the provisions of the amended Trademarks Act and the new Trademarks Regulations, any trademark filings that filed prior to, and not advertised as of June 17, 2019 will be re-examined, which would definitely further delay the timelines.

2019年6月17日开始，加拿大商标局颁布并实施新商标法。尽管商标制度随之发生重大改革，但关于商标审查周期的问题依然存在，且有增无减。对于2019年6月17日之前已经提交申请，但截止新法实施尚未进入公告的所有商标，均需根据新商标法和商标制度进行重新审查，这无疑进一步延长了这类商标的审查时间。

Delays in examination process, firstly, arose from higher-than-expected filing volumes, particularly Madrid Protocol-related submissions, coupled with a significant shortage of qualified trademark examiners. Undoubtedly, the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic in the year of 2020 exacerbated this matter. Most staffs were under home-based working mode, which make the examination process become even more slowly.

加拿大商标审查流程的延迟，最初源于商标申请量远高于预期，尤其是马德里商标申请。其次，加拿大商标局严重欠缺有资质的商标审查员，这也是一个不容忽视的因素。此外，2020年新型冠状肺炎疫情的爆发，使这一问题进一步恶化。审查员及其他工作人员开始居家办公模式，这进一步拖慢了商标审查的时间。

The current timeline to first substantive examination for domestic trademark filings in Canada is slightly more than 25 months. In practice, many applications are waiting for months longer than that just for examiner’s first reports, that’s even 30 months or more.

目前，加拿大商标的审查周期，仅指商标局下发第一次审查意见的时间约超过25个月。实际操作中，有些商标申请需等待30多个月或更长时间才能收到审查员的第一份审查报告。

Compared to domestic filings, trademark applications filed via the Madrid Protocol might be examined more quickly. According to the Madrid Protocol, the Examination Branch CTMO (The Canadian Trademarks Office) would have to notify IB (the International Bureau) of any refusal together with all the possible grounds of refusal within 18 months after the CTMO has been sent a notification of the international application by the IB. The CTMO could withdraw any such refusal at any time before or after the expiry of the 18 month period, but no new grounds of refusal could be raised by the Examination Branch after the expiry of the 18 month period.

与国内商标申请（直接向加拿大商标局提交申请）相比，马德里指定加拿大商标申请的审查周期则相对较快。根据《马德里议定书》的要求，加拿大商标局必须在收到国际局转发的国际申请后18个月内将所有可能的驳回及相关驳回理由通知国际局。加拿大商标局可以在18个月期满之前或之后的任何时间撤回相关驳回通知及驳回理由，但18个月期限截止后，审查部门便不可再基于新的驳回理由而下发任何新的驳回通知。

Although the Examination Branch would probably wish to issue all ex officio (i.e. examination-stage) grounds of refusal in a single notification, it would be allowable under the Madrid Protocol to raise additional ex officio grounds of refusal in separate notifications provided that all such notifications were issued within the 18 month time period. In practice, this situation also exists for domestic filings, that’s the application might receive more the one examination report from the examiner based on different grounds of refusal, which further delays the examination and registration of trademark filings.

实质审查阶段，虽然审查部门可能希望在一份审查报告中罗列所有驳回理由，但根据《马德里议定书》的相关规定，只要在18个月审查周期内，基于其他驳回理由而再次下发驳回通知的情况也是允许的。这种情况同样存在于国内商标审查过程中，同一个商标申请可能收到多个基于不同理由的审查报告，这也进一步延缓了商标的审查和注册时间。

In order to improve the quality and speed of examination for all applications, CIPO worked hard continuously and enrolled more new examiners in past two years. According to CIPO’s performance targets for 2020 to 2021 which sets a goal of sending a first office action (approval or examiner's report) within 22 months from filing date. It seems that better days are ahead, although there is still work to be done.

为提高商标审查的质量和效率，加拿大商标局致力于不断努力和改革，并在过去两年内着重增加商标审查员的数量。根据加拿大商标局2020年至2021年的绩效目标，新商标申请的首个审查报告（核准注册或驳回意见）有望在申请日起算的22个月内下发。由此可见，尽管目前商标审查提速缓慢且效果一般，但仍有望在不久的将来迎来好消息。

Performance targets

绩效目标

Performance targets represent the level of performance that clients can expect when requesting a service from CIPO. They demonstrate CIPO's commitment to service excellence and accountability by making our performance transparent. Targets reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CIPO operations and represent an estimate of expected performance. With further adjustment and eventually recovery from this situation, the performance and targets will improve.

绩效目标表示客户向加拿大商标局请求某种服务时可以期望的绩效水平。这也是加拿大商标局通过绩效透明化向客户展示其对卓越服务及所负责任的一种承诺。下列绩效目标反映了新冠肺炎疫情对加拿大商标局日常运作的影响，也是对预期绩效的一种估算。加拿大商标局表示，伴随着进一步调整及新冠肺炎疫情的逐步好转，相关绩效目标将会进一步提高。

Requests for expedited examination

加拿大商标加急审查

Trademark applications are generally examined in order, according to the order in which they are received by the Registrar of Trademarks. There are no specific provisions in the Trademarks Act (the Act) or Trademarks Regulations (the Regulations) concerning expediting the examination of an application. Examining an application out of sequence creates a favored position at the expense of other applicants. As such, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office does not currently grant requests to examine trademark applications out of order.

通常情况下，商标审查的先后顺序以商标局收到商标申请的顺序为准。新商标法和商标制度并没有关于加快审查的具体规定。不按顺序对某个商标进行加快审查，这对特定申请人有利，但同时也损害了其他商标申请人的利益。因此，加拿大商标局目前不接受任何加快审查的请求。

However, in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and with a view to ensuring Canadians have timely access to COVID-19 related products and services, effective December 14, 2020 the Office will begin accepting requests for expedited examination of trademark applications associated with medical goods or services related to COVID-19.

然而，在目前新冠肺炎肆虐全球的形势下，为确保新冠肺炎相关产品和服务能够及时进入市场，自2020年12月14日起，加拿大商标局开始接受与新冠肺炎相关的医疗产品或服务类商标进行加快审查的请求。

Form and content of request

请求加急审查的形式和内容

The Registrar will accept requests for expedited examination in the form of an affidavit or statutory declaration, by a person having knowledge of the facts, setting out the specific circumstances and reasons for the request. The affidavit or statutory declaration must clearly set out how one or more of the following criteria are met:

1. A court action is underway in Canada with respect to the applicant's trademark in association with the goods or services listed in the application;

2. The applicant is in the process of combating counterfeit products at the Canadian border with respect to the applicant's trademark in association with the goods or services listed in the application;

3. An approval for use of the goods or services listed in the application has been submitted to, or has been obtained from, Health Canada under the same name as the trademark.

加拿大商标局接受以宣誓书或法定声明形式提交的加急审查请求，申请人必须如实陈述加急审查的具体情况及理由。宣誓书或法定声明必须明确指出是否满足以下一项或多项标准：

1、 针对商标及指定的商品或服务项目，在加拿大涉及正在进行的法院诉讼；

2、 针对商标及指定的商品或服务项目，申请人在加拿大边境正面临打击假冒伪劣产品的行动；

3、 已有其他相同商标向加拿大卫生部提出，或已获得加拿大卫生部批准在指定商品或服务上使用。

To be eligible for expedited examination under this procedure, the application must include at least one of the following types of goods or services:

1. pharmaceuticals, medical devices (such as diagnostic tests, ventilators), or medical protective equipment (such as sanitary masks for protection against viral infections, disposable gloves for medical purposes) that prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure COVID-19;

2. Medical services or medical research services for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure of COVID-19.

为满足加急审查程序，商标必须涵盖以下至少一种商品或服务类型：

1、 预防、诊断、治疗或治愈新冠肺炎的药品、医疗器械（如诊断测试、呼吸机）或医疗防护设备（如用于防止病毒感染的卫生口罩、医疗用一次性手套）；

2、用于预防、诊断、治疗或治愈新冠肺炎的医疗服务或医学研究服务。

How to file a request

如何提交加急审查请求

Requests of expedited examination must include the name of the applicant and, if known, the trademark application number. Situations may occur in which an application either the application number is not known, or one has yet to be provided. In such a situation, in addition to the name of the applicant, the applicant shall provide (a) a copy of the application, or (b) a representation or description of the trademark, the approximate date on which the application was received by the Office, and, if applicable, the reference number given to the application by the applicant or their agent, by accompanying any written correspondence to the Registrar in order to properly identify the application. In compliance with subsection 4(1) of the Regulations, a request for expedited examination must not relate to more than one application for the registration of a trademark. There is no fee associated with a request for expedited examination.

加急审查请求必须包含申请人姓名以及商标申请号（若有）。如果商标申请号未知或尚未提供，在这种情况下，除申请人姓名外，还应向商标局提供（a）商标申请副本，或（b）商标图样或描述，商标申请提交的大致日期，以及申请人或代理提供的参考编号（若有），并附上相关书面文件，以便商标局能够准确识别该商标申请。根据加急审查实施细则的相关规定，加急审查请求不得涉及多个商标注册申请。商标加急审查请求不收取任何官费。

After a request is submitted

加急审查请求提交后

If the request for expedited examination is accepted, the Office will examine the application as soon as possible. Where a trademark application receives expedited examination, it could lose this advantage if the applicant requests an extension of time or misses any deadline. If the request for expedited examination is not accepted, the Office will send written correspondence to the applicant explaining why the request was denied.

若加急审查请求被采纳，商标局则会尽快审查该商标申请。在商标进入加急审查程序后，若申请人提交了延期请求或错过任何截止期限，则可能丧失加急审查这一优势。若加急审查请求未被采纳，商标局则会出具书面文件，向申请人说明加急审查请求被拒的理由。

原文来源：

1.https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr02948.html  (Performance targets) 

2.https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/wr04872.html(Expedited examination)

3.https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/wr04619.html(Madrid Protocol-related filings)

来源：IPRINTL

作者：WPIP-余波

编辑：IPRINTL-Elaine

校对：IPRINTL-Elaine

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