Trademark Registration ARIPO
Registration of your ARIPO-trademark is currently possible in the following member states of ARIPO: Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Sào Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.The price includes our professional fees as well as all official fees for the registration of the trademark without opposition.
| Flat fee incl. official fees | Yes |
|---|---|
| Fee additional class | EUR 50.00 |
| Classes included | 1 |
| Multiple classes possible | yes |
| Protection Period (years) | 10 |
| International Registration possible | No |
| Power of Attorney must be notarized | No |
| Legal Advice | Yes |
| Process Duration (est. in months) | 15-18 |
Trademark Registration ARIPO
With this assignment you can order a trademark registration in ARIPO. We will take care of everything that is necessary for the professional preparation of the trademark registration in ARIPO, submission of the trademark application in ARIPO and send the trademark certificate to you.
The price for trademark registration in ARIPO includes our professional fees as well as the official trademark office fees for the trademark registration in ARIPO without opposition.
The trademark registration order for ARIPO includes the following tasks:
First, we check whether the trademark being registered is entitled to protection in ARIPO (absolute grounds of refusal). Not all trademarks can be registered as trademarks. For instance, merely descriptive terms for the respective goods and services may not be registered as a trademark.
To avoid collisions between your trademark registration in ARIPO and older trademarks we recommend to conduct a trademark search in ARIPO which must be ordered separately.
We will e-mail you the prepared trademark registration documents for ARIPO for your approval and file it then.
Once the trademark was registered in ARIPO we send you the certificate.
Country specific trademark law regarding ARIPO
I. Participating Countries
- Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Sào Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe signed the Banjul Protocol, however, not all of these countries already implemented national regulations to accept ARIPO trademarks
II. Required documents
- PoA
III. Application Procedure
- application is filed with ARIPO office, one or more designated states may be chosen
- filing through national offices in the designated states is possible as well
- formal examination only, no search for prior rights by ARIPO office
- ARIPO will transmit applications to the national offices, granting a 12-months period for the national offices to examine the application
- upon examination, ARIPO will publish the application
IV. Classification
- Nice Classification (42 classes of the international classification of goods and services in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, whereas Malawi and Uganda only accept the 34 classes of the international classification of goods)
- multi-class applications allowed
V. Opposition
- opposition may be filed at any time between the publication and the registration
VI. Use requirements
- use requirements in accordance with the legislation of the designated states
VII. Duration Period
- 10 years from date of application
VIII. Renewal
- renewable for periods of 10 years
Ask us! We will gladly advise you.
Jens Liesegang
Attorney-at-Law, Certified IP Lawyer
Normen Lang
Attorney-at-Law, Certified IP Lawyer and Certified lawyer for Information Technology Law
Service overview regarding trademark registration
Legal advice by specialist attorneys by telephone, email or video on the planned trademark application
Examination of the trademark for registrability (absolute grounds for refusal such as the need to keep the trademark free due to descriptive indications, lack of distinctiveness)
Optional: Trademark search for similar trademarks and related advice
Preparation of the list of goods and services for optimal protection
Filing of the application and sending of the confirmation of the application
Correspondence with the Trademark Office, if necessary adjustment of the list of goods and forwarding of objections without further costs. Opposition proceedings and comments on refusals only against separate remuneration.
Examination and sending of the trademark certificate
optional: trademark monitoring due to conflicting trademark applications
What is a trademark?
A trademark is for your brand name or logo which identifies your product or services. It can be a word, letter, number, phrase, symbol, shape or combination thereof. A unique brand name or logo is used to differentiate your product/service as distinct from others in the industry. To secure legal protection for your brand name or logo you need to get it registered.
What trademarks are NOT registerable?
Any trademark, which is identical or deceptively similar to an existing registered trademark or trademark for which application for registration has been made, cannot be registered. Also trademark that would likely cause deception or confusion or is offensive may not be registered. Geographical names, common names, common trade words and common abbreviation can also not be registered as a trademark.
What does a trademark application cost in other countries?
We have prepared a cost overview of the costs of trademark registration in all countries. In it, you will find a table listing all the costs for filing a trademark application. The costs include all attorney fees and the costs of the trademark offices.
What are the benefits of a trademark registration?
Although unregistered trademarks receive some protection in different countries, trademarks can be further protected through registration. A trademark registration provides additional substantive and procedural rights. In this article you can find more details about the benefits of a trademark registration.
When can I use symbol (R) or TM?
Symbol “TM” can be used after filing of trademark application. (R) should be used only after registration of trademark. The ® symbol may only be used in connection with the goods and services listed on the registration certificate.
How do I find and register a trademark?
We have summarized in an article how to proceed strategically to develop and protect a meaningful trademark in our article Strategy for Trademark Finding.
What are Nice Classes?
Trademarks need to be protected for specific goods or services. Here you can learn more about the Nice Classification and for which goods your trademark should be registered.
What is trademark infringement?
Trademark infringement is the unauthorized use of a trademark or service mark on or in connection with goods and/or services in a manner that is likely to cause confusion, deception, or mistake about the source of the goods and/or services.
Will my trademark registration be valid for all types of services and goods?
Trademarks are registered for specific goods or services. Therefore they are only valid for these specific goods. The classes, to which these goods or services belong, are only relevant for the calculation of fees and to narrow searches for similar trademarks. A trademark can also be infringed if an identical or similar sign is used for similar goods or services. Goods or services are similar if they are complimentary or serve the same purpose, are usually produced or offered by the same undertakings and distributed in the same channels.
Should I conduct a trademark search before filing for an application?
Yes, it is advisable to conduct a trademark search before filing an application for registration. Before making an application for registration it is reasonable to review trademarks that are already registered, just to make sure that the proposed trademark is not denied due to similarity with other trademarks. It will save you both time and money. You can order a professional trademark search here.
How do I register a trademark?
In our article "How do I register a trademark?" we explain the steps involved in a trademark application and the best way to proceed.
What is the difference between a word mark and a word/figurative mark?
There are different types of trademarks. The most important ones are the word mark and the word/figurative mark. In our article What's the difference between a word mark and a word/figurative mark, we explain the differences and which type will give you the most trademark protection.
