The IPONZ Hearings Office has reviewed and consulted on the proceeding costs schedules for Trade Marks and Patents. These changes are the result of reviews between the IPONZ Hearings Office, the Hearings Technical Focus Group, the IPONZ Assistant Commissioners, and wider consultation.

In IPONZ trade mark and patent proceedings, the Commissioner may award costs to a party that the Commissioner considers reasonable. The Commissioner’s standard practice is to order the unsuccessful party in proceedings to pay costs to the successful party, in accordance with a schedule of costs.

These updates are intended to ensure that costs awards are set at an appropriate level, and reflect the cost differences between trade mark and patent proceedings. Cost awards will continue to follow the standard practices and principles given on our Trade Mark Hearings and Patent Hearings pages.

The new cost schedules will apply for proceedings filed from 1 February 2019, and are available on the IPONZ website:

• Schedule of Costs for IPONZ Trade Mark Hearings
• Schedule of Costs for IPONZ Patent Hearings

For further questions or clarifications, please contact us via mail@iponz.govt.nz.