Does your Ethiopian trade mark application need re-registering?

The Ethiopian Registry Office has apparently announced that trade mark applications filed before 7 July 2006 should be “re-registered” under the new law if they are to be effective in Ethiopia. The deadline to complete this process is coming up in just over a year's time on 18 June 2014.

Ethiopia's new regulations were published in Ethiopia on 24 December 2012, bringing into force the Trade Mark Registration and Protection Proclamation 2006. The changes include the following:

- Cancellation and invalidation procedures will apply and the renewal period will be extended from 6 to 7 years.

- Priority can be claimed, based on an earlier application in a foreign country.

- Publication and opposition procedures will be introduced.

- International classification of goods and services will be followed.

Trade mark applications filed after 7 July 2006 but before 24 December 2012 will be subject to amendment, extending their term from six years to seven. As for the new trade mark applications, a power of attorney should be legalised by an Ethiopian Consul, as well as a Certificate of Incorporation with verified English translation.

Soucre: Newsletter of the Abu Ghazaleh Intellectual Property Group (AGIP).