At the Pre-Hearing Review (PHR), you should be prepared to discuss the case. You are expected to inform the Registrar of the status of negotiations, if any, and the likelihood of a settlement.

You are also expected to be familiar with the case in terms of the Notice of Opposition / Grounds of Invalidation or Revocation, Counter-Statement and the evidence filed because the Registrar or the other party may raise issues relating to these.

If you are not negotiating and you wish to have a hearing, come prepared with your dates on which you are available or not available for a hearing. You should also inform the Registrar whether any cross-examination is sought.

After both parties have filed their evidence, a Registrar's notice will be sent to both parties informing them of the date and time for the Pre-Hearing Review (PHR).

A Pre-Hearing Review (PHR) is a meeting between the parties and the Registrar conducted under Rule 36A of the Trade Marks Rules. The Registrar will ascertain from the parties whether there is any possibility of settlement or whether they wish to proceed to a full hearing.

If the parties are exploring settlement, the Registrar will give them time to do so.

If the parties wish to proceed to an Opposition Hearing, the Registrar will raise any relevant issues which need to be resolved before an Opposition Hearing. The Opponent will also have to confirm the grounds of opposition on which it is proceeding, so that both parties have a common understanding on the grounds to address in their submissions.