Trade Marks Act, 1996

Privileged communications.

91.—(1) This section applies to communications in respect of any matter relating to the protection of a trade mark or in respect of any matter involving passing off.

(2) Any communication to which this section applies—

(a) between a person and his registered agent, or

(b) for the purposes of obtaining or in response to a request for information which a person is seeking for the purpose of instructing his registered agent,

is privileged from disclosure in legal proceedings in the State in the same way as a communication between a person and his solicitor or, as the case may be, a communication for the purpose of obtaining or in response to a request for information which a person seeks for the purpose of instructing his solicitor.

(3) In subsection (2) “registered agent” means—

(a) a registered trade mark agent;

(b) a partnership entitled to describe itself as a firm of registered trade mark agents; or

(c) a body corporate entitled to describe itself as a registered trade mark agent.