Once the IPD has received the application, it will, within 1 month, proceed to its formal examination to ensure that it contains all elements required, and to classify the products and services.

If the application lacks any of the required elements, or should it not be in order, the applicant would be notified by the IPD. His application shall be rectified within the time period specified in the notification. If the applicant is not notified, he will have a maximum of 3 months from the filing of the application to make it in order.

If an application is in order, the request will be published on the first Wednesday, two months after the initial application date, in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR.

Any person may file an opposition to the registration during a two months period after the publication of the application in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR.

A duplicate of the opposition is sent to the applicant. The applicant may respond to the complaint in writing, and it is to be filed within one month of the respective notification. Both parties are then given the opportunity, within certain time limits, to file evidence in support of the application and opposition. Once the period for the presentation of oppositions has expired, the IPD will proceed to the examination and study the proceedings, and decide upon the granting, or not, of the application.

If there is no opposition to the mark, the IPD will prepare the examination report within 6 months from the date of the publication in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR of the application notice.

After the registration has been granted, it will be published on the first Wednesday of the month, in the second series of the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR. This publication will include the application number and the applicant’s name.

Up to a maximum period of 6 months after the date of publication of the grant in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR, the applicants would be required to finish paying the fees of granting and issuing of registration certificate and to complete the “其他行為申請書/ Pedido de Outros Actos” form (Request for Other Actions Form). Registration certificate will be issued 10 working days after the fees have been paid.

If an application is not in accordance with the regulations of “Macao Industrial Property Code”, the IPD will publish the ruling on refusing the registration in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR. The appeal against that decision should be lodged with the Macao Basic Court, within 1 month of the date of publication thereof in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR.

The registration details of trademarks, after being published in the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR, may be searched through the computer terminals located at the IPD. These computer terminals are available to the public.

In addition, requests for trademark searches are also possible. The search report will be ready 5 working days after a request is made.

The applicant or owner may complete the “其他行為申請書/ Pedido de Outros Actos” form (Request for Other Actions Form) to request an annotation for their trademarks, accompanied by the documents bearing out the facts to be annotated, and the original “Trademark Registration Certificate” (for those who have their Trademarks registration granted). The annotation fee should be included at that time.

Annotations may include:

• The granting of operating licenses;
• Transmission of trademarks;
• Alteration of applicant’s / owner’s or company’s name;
• Alteration of applicant’s / owner’s of company’s address;
• Any other facts or decisions that alter or extinguish trademarks.

The above application will be processed within 5 working days after a request is made, and the annotations will be published on the first Wednesday of the month, in the second series of the Official Bulletin of Macao SAR. Within 10 working days after the annotation has been published, the IPD will process the relevant updates on to the certificate (applicable only to those who have obtained the grant of the trademark registration).