Dept. of State implements 1st upgrade to Registry of Trademarks and Trade Names
The Puerto Rico Department of State is set to launch the first phase of the Trademark and Trade Name Registry platform’s upgrade on March 7, providing “greater and better” online functionalities for users who submit applications to register trademarks and trade names, Secretary of State Omar J. Marrero announced.
Although registration procedures can be carried out online since 2012, the implementation of the modernization phase seeks to significantly improve the user experience, he said.
“We try above all to offer a modern page, easy to access and understand for the user,” Marrero said. “This comprises the first of four phases within this modernization effort that also seeks to update the technical architecture of the platform.”
The new page allows for creating user profiles with passwords, searching capabilities for transactions, brands and trade names, as well as other parameters. There are also updates to the goods and services list in accordance with the latest U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) version – after more than a decade without updating, Marrero emphasized.
The processing time for trademark applications in Puerto Rico is taking approximately five months from the filing date, compared to an average 10 months at the USPTO, he said.
“This reform joins other technological initiatives, such as the new and redesigned platform of the Registry of Corporations and Entities, aimed at optimizing the services that the Department provides to citizens and stimulating the business environment in Puerto Rico,” Marrero said.
The new platform modernizes the functionalities for creating legal entities, optimizing transaction flow to reduce the entry of duplicate information, and improving the user interface to make it more intuitive. The reporting process and payment of annual fees were also facilitated. Furthermore, a new payment plan module includes both for-profit and nonprofit entities.
These improvements are part of a comprehensive transformation aimed at integrating the registry with the IDEAL System of the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service (PRITS), facilitating interagency procedures.
“This is just the beginning of a complete transformation of the Puerto Rico Trademark and Trade Name Registry, part of a Department of State’s strategy to achieve a full transformation with new modules, functionalities and implementation of technology for better access and use,” Marrero concluded.
