TIPO has added an “Automatic Recommendation of Goods and Services Descriptions” feature to its Trademark Search system, enabling applicants to search for the descriptions of goods or services that they wish to designate more quickly and accurately. The new feature helps reduce the likelihood of applications requiring amendments due to non-compliant descriptions, saving their time and costs.

Applicants simply enter the  descriptions of the goods or services they wish to search for, and the system uses a smart recommendation mechanism to provide up to 20 recommended results for each search. The recommendations are categorized into three types based on the nature of the information: “Acceptable Descriptions,” “References,” and “Unacceptable Descriptions.”

“Acceptable Descriptions” refers to descriptions published by TIPO in the Classification and Cross Reference Index of Goods and Services. For electronic applications in which all designated goods or services are selected from these descriptions, applicants are eligible for a fee reduction and the Fast-Track Trademark Examination Program. “References” refers to descriptions that may be used as designated goods or services and provide useful reference, but are not eligible for the fee reduction or the Fast-Track Trademark Examination Program. “Unacceptable Descriptions” refers to descriptions identified in TIPO’s publications as having overly broad or unclear meanings and should therefore be avoided.

Through the category labels and smart recommendations, applicants can quickly determine the applicability of different descriptions, improving the accuracy of descriptions of designated goods or services. This can further streamline the application process and reduce the administrative costs associated with amendments.

TIPO emphasizes that the “Automatic Recommendation of Goods and Services Descriptions” feature is intended only as an auxiliary tool. Applicants should still carefully select appropriate descriptions based on the actual goods or services in connection with which the trademark is used, to ensure that their applications accurately reflect their intended use and to protect their trademark rights and interests.