For a period of two months from the date of this publication, opposition to the applications
referred to in Article 182.1 above may be lodged by the owner of a protected mark or the
holder of a protected geographical indication or appellation of origin, subject to payment by
the opposing party of the prescribed fees.
Opposition shall be lodged by means of a statement filed with the agency responsible for
industrial property.
This agency shall gather the oppositions and forward them to the competent government
authority, which shall then raise them in accordance with the legislation in force, and shall also
inform the applicant or his/her representative, where appropriate, by registered letter with
acknowledgement of receipt and invite him/her to submit a response within two months from
the date of receipt of that letter.
The agency responsible for industrial property shall forward without delay the response from
the applicant submitted within the period referred to in the previous article to the competent
government authority and shall inform accordingly the opposing party, who shall have 15 days
in which to submit any remarks.
The competent government authority shall rule on the opposition, in accordance with the
legislation in force, by means of a reasoned decision. This decision shall be communicated by
that authority to the agency responsible for industrial property, as well as to the applicant and
the opposing party or their representatives by registered letter with acknowledgement of
receipt.
However, opposition proceedings shall be closed where:
1. the opposing party has lost the capacity to act;
2. the opposition is no longer relevant following a joint agreement between the holder of
the protection application and the opposing party who shall send a certified copy to
the agency in charge of industrial property by registered letter with acknowledgement
of receipt;
3. the application for protection that was the subject of the opposition is withdrawn. In
this case, the competent government authority shall keep that agency informed of the
withdrawal of the application.
Mention of the decision of the government authority ruling on the opposition shall be
recorded in the national register of geographical indications and shall be published according
to the arrangements laid down by regulation.
If no statement of opposition has been filed with the agency responsible for industrial property
within the time period referred to in the second paragraph above, or if the opposition is
rejected, that agency shall record the geographical indications or appellations of origin in the