By The Star Staff
The Puerto Rico Department of State on Thursday will launch the first phase of the modernization of the Trademark and Trade Name Registry platform, providing more significant and better functionalities to online users to submit trademark registration applications and commercial names, Secretary of State Omar J. Marrero Díaz announced Monday.
Although Registry procedures have been carried out online since 2012, the implementation of the current modernization phase seeks to significantly improve the user experience, Marrero Díaz said.
“We try, above all, to offer a modern portal that is easy to access and understand for the user,” the official said. “This comprises the first of four phases within this modernization effort that also seeks to update the platform’s technical architecture.”
Through the new portal, users can create a profile with a password and search for transactions, brands, trade names, and other parameters. In addition, the goods and services available on the platform have been updated by the most recent version of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) after more than a decade without any update, the state secretary added.
In fact, Marrero Díaz, said the processing time for trademark applications in Puerto Rico is about five months from the filing date, compared to the average of 10 months it is taking at the USPTO.
“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,” the official added.
The new Corporation Registry platform modernizes the functionalities for creating legal entities, optimizing the transaction flow to reduce duplicate information entry and improving the user interface to make it more intuitive, Marrero Díaz noted. The reporting process and payment of annual fees have also been facilitated.
The new Payment Plans Module includes entities categorized as for-profit and nonprofit. Those entities may request payment plans that may be granted as long as they comply with the justifications established in the regulations.
Finally, the registry modernization is integrated into the IDEAL System of the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service, which facilitates interagency procedures.