Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with the largest economy in the continent. It is one of the fastest-growing service sectors with the increasing requirement for consumers’ goods. Therefore, there are a large number of products available in the market. For this reason, trademark registration is essential for any business to operate its process peacefully. In this case, assistance from Worldwide Trademark Registration Experts can lead the process smoothly. In this article therefore, we will give you the basic idea of trademark registration in Nigeria.
The law regarding trademark registration in Nigeria
The laws related to trademark registration in Nigeria are the Trade Marks Act, Cap T 13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (“TMA”), and the Trademark Regulations act 1990. According to these laws, any device, brand, label, ticket, heading, name, signature, any word or letter, numeral and any combination thereof can come under trademark registration laws.
Accordingly as the best worldwide Trademark Registration Experts, we know that trademarks can be used to identify and distinguish your business’s products from similar products of other brands. Trademark registration laws in Nigeria classify the goods and products in thirty-four international classes.
Application for trademark registration can be issued by the proprietor of the business or by a local agent. However, in the case of foreigners, they need to hire a worldwide Copyright Registration experts. Registration of the trademark gives the owner an exclusive right for the utilization of a trademark for a particular good or product to which the trademark was registered. In order to register your trademark, the mark must contain one of the followings:
- the name of the business or company, firm represented in a particular manner or an individual.
- the signature of the applicant for the registration process or even some predecessor in his or her company or business;
- a unique word or invented words;
- a word or words with no direct reference to the quality of the goods or the character, and not even directly related to the ordinary signification of geographical name or surname;
- any other distinctive mark;
The legal requirements for trademark registration in Nigeria
Nigeria doesn’t deal with a complex process. A business owner needs minimum requirements to register their business in Nigeria. In this regard, as one of the best worldwide Trademark Registration Experts, we will let you know some of the documents that are required in trademark registration in Nigeria.
- Full details of the applicants.
- Trademark information
- The entire range of goods and products covered by the trademark.
- A copy of the Power of attorney/ agent’s authorization.
Application Process
As a Worldwide Trademark Registration Expert, we have broken the entire process into 4 stages.
Availability Search: At first, you need to confirm that there is no registered trademark that is similar to your proposed mark. It will help you to complete the process without any hassle.
Trademark Application: If you find that your proposed mark is unique, you need to apply for the registration. If your trademark is considered for registration, you will be issued an approval letter.
Application for Certificate: Once the proposed trademark has been published by the trademark registration office, a particular party may oppose the registration within two months. If the mark is not opposed, you need to apply for the registration to get a trademark certificate.
Insurance of certificate: If everything goes fine without any objection, the registrar will issue the certificate of registration. A trademark in Nigeria is valid for 7 years. Then it can also be renewed for 14 years if the application or renewal is made within 3 months.
This is the basic as well as important information about the trademark registration service in Nigeria. However, if you want to know more about the process, you can contact us. At eLegal Consultants, we have a team of professional worldwide Trademark Registration Experts and experienced Expert Litigation lawyers to ease your trademark registration experience. Contact us to know more.
