When the 2020 lockdown hit, India’s IP offices issued a rapid series of notices extending deadlines and adjourning hearings. This is a chronological record of those measures — and the Supreme Court order that paused limitation nationwide.
Note: These were temporary, pandemic-era measures from 2020, now concluded. The Supreme Court’s suo-motu limitation extension was finally wound up by its January 2022 order, which set fresh timelines. Treat the dates below as a historical record, and confirm current deadlines directly with the relevant IP office.
CGPDTM (Office of the Controller General)
- 18 May 2020 — deadlines under the IP Acts/Rules (completing acts, filing replies/documents, paying fees) falling due 15 Mar–17 May 2020 were extended to 1 June 2020; rights to seek further extension/condonation remained unaffected.
- 4 May 2020 — deadlines falling due 2–17 May 2020 extended to 18 May 2020.
- 15 April 2020 — all CGPDTM offices closed until 3 May 2020; hearings up to that date adjourned; Patent Agent Exam 2020 registration extended to 4 May 2020.
- 25 March 2020 — all offices closed for 21 days from 25 March, per the national lockdown.
- 19/24 March 2020 — Patent Agent Exam 2020 registration extended to 15 April 2020.
Patent Office
- 19 March 2020 — in-person hearings on/before 15 April 2020 shifted to video conferencing; applicants unable to attend by VC could seek adjournment beyond 15 April. The Office also indicated willingness to condone delay and accept late submissions relating to replies/hearings.
- 20 March 2020 — officers of Deputy Controller rank and above to report on all working days.
- 23 March 2020 — VC hearings scheduled 23–31 March 2020 cancelled, to be rescheduled.
Trade Marks Registry
- 16 March 2020 — hearings between 17 March–15 April 2020 adjourned, to be rescheduled.
- 23 March 2020 — applicants could file for extension of time, to be considered per law.
Copyright Office
- 16 March 2020 — hearings between 17–31 March 2020 adjourned, to be rescheduled.
The Supreme Court’s limitation order
Taking suo-motu cognizance, the Supreme Court’s order of 23 March 2020 provided that limitation periods — under general or special laws — would not run with effect from 15 March 2020 until further orders, across all courts and tribunals. (This regime was later concluded by the Court’s January 2022 order.)
The takeaways
- Deadlines that fell in the early lockdown were pushed to 1 June 2020 by the CGPDTM.
- Hearings moved to VC or were adjourned across the Patent, Trade Marks and Copyright offices.
- The Supreme Court froze limitation from 15 March 2020 — a nationwide backstop.
- All of this has since concluded — always verify the current deadline with the relevant office.
Frequently asked questions
Are the COVID-19 IP deadline extensions still in force? No — they were temporary 2020 measures. The Supreme Court’s limitation extension was concluded by its January 2022 order; confirm current deadlines with the relevant IP office.
What did the CGPDTM’s 18 May 2020 notice do? It extended IP deadlines falling due between 15 March and 17 May 2020 to 1 June 2020, without affecting the right to seek further extensions.
What did the Supreme Court order on limitation? By its 23 March 2020 suo-motu order, limitation periods were suspended with effect from 15 March 2020 until further orders — later wound up in January 2022.
How were hearings handled during the lockdown? They were adjourned or shifted to video conferencing across the Patent Office, Trade Marks Registry and Copyright Office.