Each client record holds information about that company, individual or other legal entity. This reduces the amount of data entry an applicant has to perform on application. Interested parties can view the address details of an intellectual property owner on the register.

Make changes to a client record

Authorised parties, or the client themselves, can make changes in legal name and addresses to their client record. These will reflect across their whole portfolio.

To make changes to a client record, you'll need to be logged on as a registered user of the case management facility.

1. Select Maintain Client from the My Account menu of your Inbox. The Search IPONZ Client Database page will display.
2. You can search for your client details by Name, Id, Email address and more.
3. When you have found the correct client, tick the check box to select them from your search results, then choose Select in the bottom right hand corner.

Note: When searching for a client by Name, you can use wildcards and operators such as quotation marks, brackets, “OR”, “AND”, “*” and “?” to help you find them. Spaces in your search query are recognised as “OR”s. 

Change of legal name

You must provide supporting documentation to confirm a change of legal name (eg a certificate from the Registrar of Companies).

1.  On the Search IPONZ Client Database screen, search for your client record and select Edit. You will be taken to the Maintain Client screen.

• If your client is a New Zealand Registered Business, enter its new name or NZBN (New Zealand Business Number) in the Search NZBN Register field. This will search the New Zealand Business Number register for the new company details.
• If your client is not a New Zealand Registered Business, make your name changes manually.

2.  Upload your supporting documentation using Add Document.
3.  Select Continue once you've uploaded your document(s).
4.  Select Submit to complete your request.

Change of address

When an address for service, or business, residential or communication address has changed, a notice of change of address must be filed with the Commissioner of patents, trade marks and designs.

1. On the Search IPONZ Client Database screen, search for your client record and select Edit. You will be taken to the Maintain Client screen.
2. Add, change or remove addresses as required.
   Note: You must have an address for service in New Zealand or Australia to own a trade mark, patent or design. You must have an address for service in New Zealand to own a plant variety right.
3. Select Submit to complete your request.

Communication will be via a user's email address and address for service. In the absence of valid contact information, we may send communications via a postal or physical address instead.

Incorporation of firms

Newly-incorporated patent attorney firms are required to notify IPONZ of their incorporation. For more information, see Incorporation of existing patent attorney firms.

Add a new client

You may create a new client record if it doesn’t already exist in the register. You’ll need to search the database for that client record before being given the option to create a new one.

To create a new client record, you'll need to be logged on as a registered user of the case management facility.

1.  Select Maintain Client from the My Account menu of your Inbox. The Search IPONZ Client Database page will display.

2.  Search for your client details. This will cause a Create New Client ID button to appear at the bottom of your search results.

If you are not able to find your client record among your search results, you may create a new client record as follows:

3.  Select Create New Client ID. This will take you to the Maintain Client screen.

4.  Select the appropriate Type for your new client.

• If you select New Zealand Registered Business, for example, you must enter its name or NZBN under the Search NZBN Register field. This will search the New Zealand Business Number register for this company and automatically complete the remainder of this form.

5.  Enter all required information for the client record. 
6.  To amend an address, select Edit next to the address you wish to update. Each client record should contain at least three address types: a physical address, a postal address and an address for service in New Zealand or Australia.
7.  To add an address, select Add by the Address field. The screen will expand to allow you to input address details. 

• If you are searching for a New Zealand Address, enter a few characters to the Search New Zealand Address field. The system will automatically look up the New Zealand Post Address Verification service (PAF) for a match. Check the presented address and select Save to save the address to the client record.
• If the address you want to enter is not searchable, or if you wish to enter an overseas address, select Add Address Manually.
• Once you have entered a physical address, you may choose to copy this as the postal address and address for service.

8.  If the new client record is meant to reflect you or your organisation, select Request to be linked to this client. This will cause your login account to be recognised as either that person, or a member of that organisation.

• If you are a third-party agent acting on behalf of this person or organisation, you should not request to be linked to this client record. Instead, you should add yourself as the agent for the relevant cases you are managing on their behalf.

9.  Select Submit to complete your request.

Change ownership

You can request for a change of ownership to be recorded for any intellectual property (IP) case in the case management facility. There is no charge for this service.

It's a requirement that new owners have a valid address for service in New Zealand or Australia. If there are multiple owners, or a designated agent, then you must determine which of these will receive correspondence from us.

You'll also need to file evidence supporting any change in ownership, such as the deed of assignment or a verified copy.

Enter a new owner on the register

1. You'll need to be logged on as a registered user of our case management facility.
2. Select Maintain a Trade Mark / Maintain a Patent / Maintain a Design / Maintain a Plant Variety Right (whichever is applicable) from the left hand menu of your Inbox. The Change Request(s) page for that particular IP type will display.
3. Choose Select cases(s) for Assignment from the Change Owner section. The Search Case(s) page for that IP type will display.
4. Search for one or more cases for which you wish to change the owner.
5. Once you've identified the correct cases, tick the check box to select these from your search results, then choose Select. The Request/Record a Change of Ownership page will display.
6. Enter your Client Reference.
7. Select whether you're the new owner or acting on behalf of the owner.
8. If you're acting on behalf of the owner, you'll be designated as the agent under the new owner, and will be required to upload an Authorisation of Agent form.
   If you don't want to be recorded as the agent for the assigned cases, select Remove to remove yourself/your firm. You'll still be able to record the change of ownership, but you won't be recorded as the new agent for the case(s).
9. To add the new owner for the assigned cases, select Search by the Applicant/New Owner(s) field. You'll be taken to the Search IPONZ Client Database screen. Search to find, or manually add, the new owner.
10. To upload an Authorisation of Agent form, select Add by the Agent Authority field.
11. To upload documents supporting your request, select Add by the Documentary Evidence field.
12. Select Submit to complete your request.

Change agent

You can request to add or change an agent for a case. There is no charge for this service.

1. You'll need to be logged on as a registered user of our case management facility.
2. Select Maintain a Trade Mark / Maintain a Patent / Maintain a Design / Maintain a Plant Variety Right from the left hand menu of your Inbox. The Change Request(s) page for that particular IP type will display.
3. Choose Select cases for Change Agent from the Change Agent section. The Search Case(s) page for that IP type will display.
4. Search for one or more cases for which you wish to change the agent.
5. Once you've identified the correct cases, tick the check box to select these from your search results, then choose Select. The Request a Change of Agent page will display.
6. Enter your Client Reference.
7. Select whether you are replacing the current agent or adding an agent.
   Note: If the new agent is not the same for each of the cases, you'll need to make a separate request for each case.
8. To enter the new agent details for the case(s), select Search in the Agents section. You will be taken to the Search Client screen.
   When adding an agent, you may check Change Contact Details for that agent to become the new primary contact for that case.
9. Select the Add button in the Documentary Evidence section to upload your Agent Authorisation documentation.
10. Select Submit to complete your request.

Note: If you're already the agent for a case, you'll be given the additional option to remove yourself as the agent.

Find/add applicant details

When you apply for an intellectual property right, either in your own right or on behalf of someone else, you must specify the applicant details on the application form.

Depending on your circumstances you’ll fall into one of the following two categories:

• I am/my organisation is the applicant
  If you're filing an application where you or your organisation is the applicant or owner, you must select In my own right in the Contact section of the application form. Your details will then be added as the applicant and contact.

• I'm an agent filing on behalf of someone else
  If you are filing an application where you or your organisation is acting as an agent for the actual owner, you must select As an agent in the Contact section of the application form. Your organisation details will then be added as the agent and contact.

Find/add applicant details

1. Click Search in the Applicant section of the application form. The Search Client screen will display.
2. Enter your search criteria to find your client, and select Search. Records matching your criteria will display.
3. To choose an applicant from your results, tick the check box next to the applicant record(s), then click Select at the bottom right of the screen. The applicant(s) details will display in the online application form.
4. If the applicant doesn't have an existing client record in the register, you may add a new record for that client:

• Select Add to create a new client record. The Maintain Client screen will display.
• Complete the details for the client and select Submit. The client details will display as the applicant on the application form.