Dear Friends and Colleagues
With regard to the developing situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to reassure our clients that we remain fully operational and are able to deliver the same quality of service as you would expect under more normal circumstances, including full continuity of our client-specific teams where applicable. Our infrastructure allows all our staff to work seamlessly from home and nearly all our staff are now doing so. Only a handful of volunteer staff remain in each of our offices in London, Cambridge, Galway and Cirencester to oversee the transition to full home working and they are closely observing government advice regarding social distancing.
Increasingly, Patent Offices around the world are announcing special measures to take account of likely business disruption, not only to their own operations but also to those of their customers. The EUIPO has already announced that all deadlines expiring between 9 March 2020 and 30 April 2020 will be extended to 1 May 2020. The EPO has also provided an advance notice of an intention to extend “periods” at the EPO (including those for international applications) until 17 April 2020.
For now, we would recommend that where possible you continue to provide instructions in the usual way observing the normal time limits, but if you have difficulty in doing so because of factors associated with COVID-19, please get in touch with your usual Keltie contact to discuss whether an extension of a time limit may apply. We will of course keep you updated on further developments and we are ready to answer your queries in relation to any specific cases of concern. Whilst we have arrangements in place to ensure all post can be processed, we would ask you please to send all instructions and communications by email so that we can ensure they are picked up and actioned promptly.
We hope that you and your colleagues, your families and loved ones, stay safe over the coming weeks and months, and we look forward to being able to see you all in person soon, in easier times.
With our good wishes
The Keltie Team
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