Agreements Concerning the Suspension of IMPI’S Activities , as well as the Legal Terms and Deadlines Before the Same Institute

Dear Clients and Friends,

On March 24, 2020, an Agreement that established the preventive measures to be implemented for the mitigation and control of the health risks posed by the SARS-CoV2 virus (COVID-19) was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF, for its acronym in Spanish), which is why the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI, for its acronym in Spanish) had suspended the legal deadlines and terms until April 19, 2020.

On March 27, 2020, another Agreement was published in the DOF by which the IMPI suspended, due to force majeure, its activities until April 19 of this year.

On March 31, through an Agreement that established extraordinary actions to address the health emergency generated by the SARS-CoV2 virus, the Ministry of Health ordered the public, social and private sectors to immediately suspend non-essential activities from March 30 to April 30, 2020.

Today, the Agreements to Modify the above-mentioned dated March 24 and 27, respectively, were published in the DOF to extend the period of suspension of activities of the IMPI, as well as the suspension of the legal terms and deadlines in the IMPI until April 30, 2020.

It is important to note that as of yesterday, April 16, 2020, the IMPI’s electronic services portal,https://eservicios.impi.gob.mx/seimpi/ is active to receive, pay for and sign applications for trademark registrations, notices and trade names, so these services are still available. We inform you in case you require us to carry out the registration of such distinctive signs for your business and companies.

Likewise, we inform you that the National Institute of Copyright (INDAUTOR) has also extended the opening period until April 30, 2020, which means that its offices will remain closed until that date and there will be no deadlines for the submission of information or renewal of rights.

Finally, we would like to comment that in the area of Litigation, while the IMPI and INDAUTOR will remain closed until April 30, 2020, and therefore there are no deadlines and terms before these authorities, both the Specialized Intellectual Property Chamber of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice, as the Judicial Branch of the Federation (District Courts in Civil and Administrative Matters and Collegiate Circuit Courts in Civil and Administrative Matters) have announced that they will remain closed until May 5, 2020, so there will be no deadlines and terms in these matters while they reopen their offices.

We will keep you duly informed of any other changes in the proceedings and remain at your disposal to answer any questions or provide any advice you may need in relation to Industrial and Intellectual Property matters.