We wish to send all of our clients and contacts our continued best wishes in these difficult times.
In recent years, our firm has invested heavily in our case management, communications and IT infrastructures. This means we already have the tools, systems and processes in place to continue to provide seamless service to our clients and associates, without disruption, for the duration of the world’s response to COVID-19.
End of UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) COVID-19 extended deadlines
The UKIPO have announced that the interrupted days period will come to an end on 29 July. This will mean that the first normal day of operation when all interrupted days deadlines expire will be Thursday 30 July 2020. However, there are a number of measures still available to extend many deadlines at the UKIPO so if COVID-19 disruption makes it difficult for you to work to existing deadlines then please let us know and we will be happy to advise.
Deadlines at the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and European Patent Office (EPO)
The EUIPO exceptional extensions came to an end on 18 May 2020 and the EPO exceptional extensions came to an end on 2 June 2020. However, there are a number of measures still available to extend many deadlines at both the EUIPO and EPO so if COVID-19 disruption makes it difficult for you to work to existing deadlines then please let us know and we will be happy to advise.
Please do not send post to our offices – send documents by email instead
In line with UK Government advice, our people are working from home. This means that we prefer not to receive physical post at our offices. As such, we politely request that you send documents to us by email only.
If you must send a document to us by post, please send it to our Halifax office:
Appleyard Lees, 15 Clare Road, Halifax, HX1 2HY, UK
As many of our clients will no doubt also have difficulty receiving post, we will not post documents for the time being. Instead, we will keep them safe, and send them on when you are similarly back in your offices.
We might be working remotely, but we’re still very much reachable through our switchboard, who will happily connect you to your usual contact:
- Halifax: +44 (0)1422 330 110
- Leeds: +44 (0)113 246 5353
- Manchester: +44 (0)161 835 9655
- Cambridge: +44 (0)1223 675 283
Actions we’ve taken to keep our staff safe and service continuing seamlessly
We’re very proud of our great team who have pulled together in these testing circumstances.
Rest assured that you remain our priority and as far as practicable we will ensure that any changes to our working practices will not impact on you, or our ability to maintain a high level of service to our clients.
We have taken the following actions to keep our staff safe, and to continue to provide our usual level of high-quality service to our clients:
- We have ensured that our staff have the appropriate equipment and access to home working.
- As far as possible we have removed staff from offices.
- We are sending correspondence by email only wherever possible.
- We have cancelled all inter-office and international travel apart from vital meetings.
- We have postponed all seminars and events until later in the year.
- We are monitoring the extension of deadlines that are being put in place by the IP offices that we use.
- Our staff are being kept fully up-to-date on the latest UK government guidelines relative to self-isolation and are being supported individually given their particular circumstances.
Further information
If you have any questions, please get in touch with your usual Appleyard Lees contact, with our teams via the switchboard numbers above, or contact us here.
Our attorneys continue to offer practical guidance on the effects of COVID-related disruption on IP. Follow us on Twitter (@Appleyardlees) or LinkedIn, or visit appleyardlees.com/articles for our latest insights released regularly, including:
The Greenshoots Podcast by Appleyard Lees: A conversation about intellectual property focused on what matters most to innovators, inventors and brand owners, right now. Listen on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple podcasts or on your laptop, desktop or other device.
Progressing innovation outside the lab: a task list for researchers during lockdown: A series of articles outlining strategic tasks that can be done outside the lab, to further intellectual property during COVID-19 disruption and prepare for the return to more normal working.
- Part one – chemistry-focused innovation
- Part two – software/electronics innovation
- Part three – physics/engineering focused innovation
Pressing pause on your intellectual property: This three-part series examines how intellectual property protection can continue in a productive and effective way, during this time of remote working, shifting priorities, uncertainty and change.
Intellectual property for start-ups in a post-COVID world: A series of articles exploring the effect of COVID-related disruption on start-ups’ management and monetisation of intellectual property, an essential consideration for start-ups in the growth and development phase.
