Trademark

In Nigeria, trademarks are divided into 45 classes. Eleven classifications are for services, and the first 34 are for commodities. The class that best fits your products or services is the one in which your trademark is protected.

• It is possible to protect your products or services under more than one class, but doing so will come at an extra expense.

They are divided into two phases, kindly check the one that is more suitable to you, click the live button below or click here to chat us up

It covers the entire procedure, from carrying out the name search to picking up your trademark acceptance letter.

a word or words with a descriptive quality, that are comparable to or closely associated with a geographical name or another registered trademark.

An instant acknowledgement is sent to the applicant following the completion of the search and availability of the name. An Acceptance Letter will be sent by the Trademark Registry following the submission of the application. After then, the register will publish a journal, and the public will have three months to object to any applications that seem to be identical to or substantially linked to their own. You may proceed with applying for a certificate if the published trademark is not disputed within the allotted time.

The trademark name, class or classes, logo (if applicable), application information, and a power of attorney.

The following are some of the things to note before registering a trademark: ● Trademark must not contain or be the name of a place (geographical indication) example, Nigeria, Lagos, Havana, Accra ● Trademark must not be directly or confusingly similar to already registered trademarks with the trademark office (this can be known after search has been conducted and there’s an already registered name similar to the one that search was conducted on) ● Trademark must be distinctive. It must not bear semblance to the trade or services it is used for. (You cannot register Shoes in class 25, shoes is not distinctive) ● Trademark must not be descriptive. This means that it must not be serving or seeking to describe. The name or logo sought to be registered must be unique and it should not have a direct meaning. If it has a direct meaning, another unique name should be added before it to make it registrable) e.g. joyful, clean, new, radiant. ● Trademark must not be deceptive. You cannot register ‘Super Jik’ if JIK is already registered in the same class ● Trademark must not show superiority in the market. You cannot register Clean, sparkle, Pure white, in the class for detergent.

This is a different procedure and it means that registration of your trademark will be suspended until the opposition is decided. If your application is opposed, we will provide the necessary processes at the trademark registry and ensure that we get an abandonment letter which will nullify the opposition filed. This attracts a different cost.

When a trademark is registered newly, it is valid for a period of seven years but must be renewed subsequently every 14 years as the Act provides. There is no limit to the number of times a trademark can be renewed.