The Registered Designs Rules 1995

PROCEDURE ON RECEIPT OF APPLICATION

Statement of objections by registrar

29.—(1) If upon consideration of the application there appears to the registrar to be any objection to it he shall send to the applicant a statement of the objection in writing, and unless the applicant sends to the registrar, within two months beginning on the date when the statement is sent to him, his observations in writing on the objection, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

(2) The applicant may request a hearing either—

(a) when sending his observations to the registrar under paragraph (1) above; or

(b) at any time thereafter when responding (within the time specified by the registrar) to any communication sent by the registrar in relation to those observations,

and upon such request the registrar shall, if it appears to him that any objection to the application remains, give the applicant at least fourteen days' notice, or such shorter notice as the applicant may consent to accept, of the time and date when he may be heard.

Decision of registrar to be communicated in writing

30.  If the applicant applies for a hearing, the decision of the registrar at the hearing shall be communicated to the applicant in writing, together with an indication in general terms of the grounds for that decision.

Appeal from registrar’s decision

31.  If the applicant desires to appeal from the registrar’s decision, he shall within one month from the date of the decision apply to the registrar, upon Designs Form 7, requesting him to state in writing the grounds of, and the materials used by him in arriving at, his decision. Upon receipt of such application, the registrar shall send to the applicant a statement as aforesaid in writing and the date when the statement is sent shall be deemed to be the date of the registrar’s decision for the purpose of an appeal.