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TRADE MARKS ORDINANCE

Ord. No. 35 of 2000
A1295


(2) (a) The permitted use of a trade mark shall be deemed to be use by the proprietor thereof, and shall be deemed not to be use by a person other than the proprietor, for the purposes of section 37 and for any other purpose for which such use is material under this Ordinance or at common law.

(b) Where a person is registered as a registered user of a trade mark relating to goods on an application made within one year from the commencement of this Ordinance, this subsection shall have effect in relation to any previous use (whether before or after the commencement of this Ordinance) of the trade mark by that person, being use in relation to the goods in respect of which he is registered and, where he is registered subject to conditions or restrictions, being use such as to comply substantially therewith, as if such previous use had been permitted use.

(3) Where it is proposed that a person should be registered as a registered user of a trade mark, the proprietor and the proposed registered user must apply in writing to the Registrar in the prescribed manner, and must furnish him with a statutory declaration made by the proprietor, or by some person authorized to act on his behalf and approved by the Registrar—

(a) giving particulars of the relationship, existing or proposed, between the proprietor and the proposed registered user, including particulars showing the degree of control by the proprietor over the permitted use which their relationship will confer and whether it is a term of their relationship that the proposed registered user shall be the sole registered user or that there shall be any other restriction as to persons for whose registration as registered users application may be made;
(b) stating the goods or services in respect of which registration is proposed;
(c) stating any conditions or restrictions proposed with respect to the characteristics of the goods or services, to the mode or place of permitted use, or to any other matter; and
(d) stating whether the permitted use is to be for a period or without limit of period, and, if for a period, the duration thereof,

and with such further documents, information or evidence as may be required under the rules or by the Registrar.

(4) When the requirements of subsection (3) have been complied with, if the Registrar, after considering the information furnished to him under that subsection, is satisfied that in all the circumstances the use of the trade mark in relation to the proposed goods or services or any of them by the proposed registered user subject to any conditions or restrictions which the Registrar thinks proper would not be contrary to the public interest, the Registrar may register the proposed registered user as a registered user in respect of the goods or services as to which he is so satisfied subject as aforesaid.

(5) The Registrar shall refuse an application under the provisions of subsections (1) to (3) if it appears to him that the grant thereof would tend to facilitate trafficking in a trade mark.

(6) The Registrar shall, if so required by an applicant, take steps for securing that information given for the purposes of an application under the provisions of subsections (1) to (3) (other than matter entered in the register) is not disclosed—

(a) in the case of an application for registration in respect of goods, to rivals in the trade; or
(b) in the case of an application for registration in respect of services, to rivals in the business.

59. Proceedings for infringement

(1) Subject to any agreement subsisting between the parties, a registered user of a trade mark shall be entitled to call upon the proprietor thereof to take proceedings to prevent infringement thereof, and, if the proprietor refuses or neglects to do so within 2 months after being so called upon, the registered user may institute proceedings for infringement in his own name as if he were the proprietor, making the proprietor a defendant.

(2) A proprietor so added as defendant shall not be liable for any costs unless he enters an appearance and takes part in the proceedings.