With effect from 2 December 2019, the Patents Office will be changing its name to the “Intellectual Property Office of Ireland” (IPOI). The title of the Controller of Patents Designs and Trade Marks will also change to the “Controller of Intellectual Property”.
The new name aims to clarify and better reflect the role of the IPOI in managing a range of intellectual property rights including registered trade marks and designs, patents and supplementary protection certificates as well as certain statutory functions under the Copyright Act. The new name is also in line with those of many similar agencies and offices abroad, making it easier for people to identify the statutory office in Ireland which has responsibility for the management and registration of intellectual property rights.
The change only concerns the name and does not impact on the role of the Office or how it operates. The change will not affect registered trademarks, design or patent rights. Neither will the change affect applications for intellectual property rights in Ireland or the application process.
As the “Patents Office” and the “Controller” are referred to by name in a number of pieces of legislation, provision has been made in Section 42 of the Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Law Provisions Act 2019, to amend the Patents Act in order to give legal effect to the changes.
The Office‘s domain will change to www.ipoi.gov.ie and the Office‘s e-mail addresses change to firstname.surname@ipoi.gov.ie on the date of the change. The general email address for correspondence will also change from patlib@patentsoffice.ie to ipinfo@ipoi.gov.ie
The existing address www.patentsoffice.ie and email addresses name@patentsoffice.ie will automatically redirect to the new domain name and email address.
The Office’s address and telephone numbers remain unchanged.
Intellectual Property Office of Ireland
Government Buildings
Hebron Road
Kilkenny
R95 H4XC
Tel: +353-56-7720111
Lo-Call Tel: 1890-220223 (within Ireland)
Fax: +353-56-7720100
Lo-Call Fax: 1890-220120 (within Ireland)
