As of May 1, 2023, the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO) changed its practice regarding the examination of legality of the activities of persons acting as representatives in industrial property cases. The reason for the revision was the increasing number of cases where applicants and right holders were represented by persons or companies that were not professional representatives, resulting in damages that were difficult or impossible to correct. As of May 1, 2023, the HIPO has been acting as detailed below:
1. Commercial Companies
If the HIPO determines that the representative is a company that is not registered as a patent attorney company in the register of the Hungarian Chamber of Patent Attorneys, the HIPO will request the company to prove its Chamber membership or to provide a document proving the lawfulness of its representation. If the relevant documents are not provided, the HIPO will reject the representative’s appointment. Read more