IPO statement on Ukraine

The UK government’s position is clear, and like everyone in the UK, we are appalled by Russia’s despicable actions and stand unequivocally behind Ukraine and its people. The UK’s economic sanctions against Russia include intellectual property, and we are enforcing these sanctions robustly. We will not be providing services to those on the sanctions list, either directly or through their agents.

We know that for the majority of our Ukrainian customers and rights holders the last thing on their minds, at this time, is their IP. We have, however, been working to put in place a package of immediate measures. This will provide the fullest support to our customers in Ukraine in relation to their UK intellectual property rights and applications.

We want to assure our Ukrainian customers that we will support them to safeguard their IP Rights when they are ready or able to contact us. We will use the maximum flexibility available to us in law to consider requests for extensions of time, reinstatements and restorations. We want to make it as simple as we can for customers to make such requests, and we will be happy to talk through the process whenever an applicant or agent contacts us.

We recognise communications are difficult, and in some cases impossible, at this time in Ukraine. We will continue to send all of our communications electronically when possible. For those customers where we only hold a postal address we can arrange an alternative method of communication when those customers are able and ready to contact us. Customers who would like us to arrange this should get in touch when they are able to.

Where a customer has files or records relating to UK intellectual property rights or applications that may have been lost, damaged or destroyed in Ukraine, we will be providing all the assistance we can to reconstitute these.