📌 Under the old law, a trademark application may be ‘objected’ on absolute and relative grounds for two counts, and applicant must undergo the first stage appeal, and second hearing stage (if the first stage objection is maintained) in order to proceed further with their application. Under the new law, applicants are given the option to choose either or the aforesaid stages, and the provisional refusal (formerly known as “objection”) shall occur only once in the entire application process.