The Ministry of Commerce recently announced that when filing a trademark application in multiple classes, a single multi-class application is now required. Previously applicants had the option to file several single-class applications for the same mark in different classes.
Announcement No. 2501 was issued by the Ministry of Commerce on August 1, 2023 with immediate effect. The aim of the policy change is to reduce the administrative burden on the Department of Intellectual Property Rights of dealing with multiple applications for the same mark. Applicants who fail to abide by the new procedure may expect provisional refusals of their applications.