10 June 2013Trademarks

IP owners asked to re-register Ethiopian trademarks

The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) has asked IP owners to re-register any trademarks filed before July 7, 2006.

Changes made to the country’s trademark law in December last year mean that any marks registered before that date will be invalid. The re-registration deadline is June 18, 2014.

On 24 December 2012, Ethiopia introduced the Trademark Registration and Protection Council of Ministers Regulation No. 273/2012 to implement the Ethiopian Trademark Registration and Protection Proclamation No. 515/2006.

Other changes under the new legislation include extending renewal periods from six to seven years, claiming priority based on foreign trademark applications, and introducing cancellation and opposition procedures.

Trademark applications filed from July 7, 2006 to December 24, 2012 fall under the new law, meaning their terms will be extended from six to seven years.

On its website, law firm Spoor & Fisher said there are still some uncertainties with the new trademark system, “particularly concerning documentary requirements, procedures and fees, which need to be clarified by the EIPO ... We reiterate our earlier advice, though, that the earlier trade mark owners file applications to register/re-register their marks, the less likely it is that they will encounter difficulties down the line”.

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