HOW TO REGISTER A TRADEMARK & LOGO IN NIGERIA
The trademark registration in Nigeria provided for by Trade Marks Act LFN 1990 is one important way to protect and distinguish someone’s trade symbols in Nigeria. Registering a trademark in Nigeria is the only way to protect a unique brand for goods or services in the marketplace.
A Trademark is a recognizable name or design, which is legally registered and used to identify and distinguish a product or service from others.
Some of the trademarks that can be registered include name, slogan, shape. The trademark is usually registered through the Trademarks, Patents and Designs Registry, Commercial Law Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Nigeria.
Trademark registration in Nigeria gives the owner the right to use such registration to exclude others from violating or willfully copying or using by a third party without consent. A registered owner of a trademark may institute an action in court to block any infringements or unauthorized use of their trademarks. The owner of a registered trademark also has the right to oppose any future trademark registration that may infringe on its own trademark.
HOW TO REGISTER A TRADEMARK
Essentially, there are three major stages involved in trademark registration, which I will briefly explain as follows:
1) SEARCH & APPLICATIONÂ
The first step required to be taken for any person or organization desiring to register a trademark is to brief an Agent, usually a lawyer with the trademark or the description of a symbol or logo or design to be registered.
A search is conducted on the trademark, and if it is not in conflict or too similar to any existing trademark, an application for registration can proceed.
The Registrar will issue an acknowledgment upon the recipient of any due application. At this stage, the applicant can have confidence, but not assurance, in the success of the entire registration process.
It is worthy of note to state that different payments are to be made at this stage for search and application processing.
2) ACCEPTANCE
Whereupon an application has been approved after a successful search has been conducted, the Registry will accept, register the trademark, and issue an Acceptance Letter to the applicant. The Acceptance Letter is initial evidence that the trademark has been duly registered.
3) PUBLICATION AND CERTIFICATION
The third stage involves publication in the trademark journal and certification. This is the final stage.
Upon the acceptance of the registration of a trademark, the Registrar will ensure the notice of the application is published in the Trademark Journal. Such notification will include the full details of the application and the applicant.
By virtue of this publication, any interested person would have the opportunity to oppose or object to the registration. Any person or organization who considers that a trademark being sought may likely confuse or mislead the public in light of any pre-existing trademarks may protest to the Registrar to stop such registration by filing a notice of opposition in a prescribed form.
Protests or oppositions containing the grounds upon which the protest is made must be sent to the Registrar of Trademarks within two months of publication of notice in a journal.
The Registrar will notify the applicant of any protest or opposition received. The applicant may respond to such opposition within one month from the date of receipt of such notice from the Registrar. An applicant who failed to respond to the opposition received with his or her own counter-statement may be deemed to have abandoned his or her application.
Where Registrar receives the response of the applicant stating why the applicant is entitled to such a trademark, the Registrar of Trademark shall constitute a Tribunal to determine the conflict in favour of one of the contending parties.
Where there is no opposition to the publication in the journal, or opposition has been made and successfully resolved in favour of the applicant, the Certificate of Registration will be issued for the trademark sought.
The Certificate indicates the evidence of due registration and completion of all processes. It confers a right on the proprietor or the owner to use the trademark to the exclusion of every other entity.
However, where any other person or entity successfully challenges the applicant in opposing a trademark registration, the Registrar will issue a letter of refusal to the applicant.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN NIGERIA
The basic requirements every intending trademark applicant should prepare or provide include the following:
- Logo, which may include Words and/or Device
- Name of the applicant
- Contact details of the applicant
- Power of Attorney appointing an agent to conduct such registration (an accredited agent/lawyer may help to prepare the power of attorney)
COST OF TRADEMARK REGISTRATION
Most people often want to know how much it costs to register a trademark in Nigeria. The price of trademark registration in Nigeria includes the filing fees and the professional fee of the lawyer or agent handling such an application. The price may differ most times, taking into consideration that the professional fees of various trademark lawyers or agents cannot be the same. By and large, the total cost, including the professional fee for registering a trademark may cost up to $500 for a foreign-owned trademark provided the trademark is not opposed. If the trademark registration is opposed for any reason, the total cost of registration will go up significantly, as more cost will be required for opposition proceedings. Every intending applicant is advised to contact certified trademark agents who can carefully evaluate the trademark before filing for registration. A law firm like Resolution Law Firm is an accredited trademark attorney in Nigeria. Unfortunately, because of a seemingly low fee, some people still patronize non-professionals who simply file the trademark but are not able to register it talk less of obtaining the final certificate.
Meanwhile, the above-suggested total cost must include all essential stages of trademark registration, which are Search, Filing, Acceptance, and Certification. It is strongly advised that any applicant who wishes to appoint a single agent to complete the entire process up to the completion or final stage should specifically mention it to such an agent and bargain for the appropriate cost for the entire process. Most people simply pay peanuts to agents who may eventually not take the work to the middle. Unlike company registration which may be completed within one to two weeks, trademark registration may take up to 18 months before the entire process can be completed.
RENEWAL OF TRADEMARK IN NIGERIA
Trademark lasts for a period of 7 years and can be renewed after an expiration from time to time. Every subsequent registration lasts for 14 years. The requirements for a trademark renewal are as follows:
- Trademark Certificate
- Power of Attorney appointing the agent and
- Payment of the prescribed fee
ASSIGNMENTS & RECORDING IN NIGERIA
Every legitimate trademark titleholder may assign such trademark to another person or entity for usage within a period of time. An Assignee or Assignor of the trademark right may apply to the trademark office for the recording of such title or right in favor of the Assignee. However, it is preferable for the Assignee to carry out the recording itself or himself/herself, since only the holder of a trademark title or right may enforce such right against any infringing third party. The requirements for trademark recording are as follows:
- Trademark Certificate
- Deed or Agreement assigning the trademark
- Power of Attorney appointing the agent and
- Payment of the prescribed fee
CLASSES OF TRADEMARK
The trademark registration is classified into 45 different classes of goods and services in accordance with the Nice international system of classification. It is important for every applicant to understand the classes the registering trademark belongs to or closely aligns with.
However, a trademark may be registered in more than one class where the applicant is seeking protection in both classes. And where an applicant seeking protection in multiple classes, separate filing fees must be paid for each of the classes. The 45 trademark classes in Nigeria are listed below:
PATENT REGISTRATION
A patent is an authority or license conferring a right or title on an inventor for a set period of time, especially the right to exclude others from making, using or selling an invention. Patents protect new inventions such as new processes, machines, and chemicals.
Patent registration is also handled by the same government department that handles trademark registration, which is the Trademarks, Patents And Designs Registry, Commercial Law Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. Registration of a patent requires that an applicant must have invented certain ideas, which can be protected not just a mere expression of it. Patenting an invention gives the holders the legal right to challenge any unauthorized usage of the invention by a third party.
The requirements for patent registration are different from trademark registration. An inventor may appoint an attorney to represent him or her for patent registration in Nigeria.
The cost of Patent filing depends on the individual patent attorneys appointed for the work.
In conclusion, it would be important to mention that there are several benefits accrued to the registration of the trademark and patent in Nigeria. Such benefit includes brand and identity protection from any infringement. Additionally, an owner of a trademark can sell or lease out his or her trademark to another person or organization if the owner chooses in the future. It is also possible for the owner of a trademark to allow certain persons or organizations to use his or her registered trademark with him or her in the future.
Companies and individuals that require the services of trademark registration in Nigeria and patent registration are advised to speak to a trademark lawyer or consultant in Nigeria.
By the Intellectual Property Law Team at the Resolution Law Firm, Nigeria. Resolution Law Firm is a licensed Trademark and Patent Attorney in Nigeria.
Email: info@resolutionlawng.com
Tel/WhatsApp: +2348099223322