Nigeria can apply for series trademarks, joint trademarks, defense trademarks, and certification trademarks in words, names, graphics, specific three-dimensional shapes, slogans, and combinations thereof. Nigeria is not a member of the Madrid System and can only apply for trademarks through a single channel, and does not accept trademark applications for multiple categories.
1. Trademark authority:
- Trademarks, Patents and Designs Commercial Law Department, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigeria,
- English: Ministry of Industry Trade and Investments Commercial Law Department Trademark, Patents and Designs Registry, IPONIGERIA
- Website: MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY TRADE AND INVESTMENTS COMMERCIAL LAW DEPARTMENT TRADEMARKS,PATENTS AND DESIGNS REGISTRYe (iponigeria.com)
2. How to apply for trademark registration:
- electronic submission
3. Trademark registration application language:
- English
4. Documents required for trademark registration application:
- Applicant information (including mailing address)
- Trademark pattern
- List of goods and/or services
- Power of attorney, original, can be supplemented within 60 days from the date of application
- Proof of payment (Nigeria’s accounting department will review the payment of the trademark application separately, which will take about one week. After the accounting department’s review is completed, the trademark application will be received and entered by the Trademark Office’s process department, and the application will be generated. The date on which the process department receives the application is the trademark application date. This process will affect the priority date, so if the trademark applicant claims priority, it must submit 7 days earlier than the priority date)
5. Nigeria trademark registration application process:
- After the Nigerian Intellectual Property Office accepts a trademark application, it will only conduct a formal review of the trademark application. The registrar will conduct an inquiry on the trademark application, and the preliminary inquiry will be completed within 2 working days. The Trademark Registration Office will review the trademark application to confirm whether there are any prior conflicting trademarks or whether it is distinctive, etc., thereby excluding the registration of the trademark. If there are no problems in the review, the examiner will issue an acceptance notice to the trademark owner, which is usually issued within 3 weeks after the confirmation letter is issued. After passing the review, the trademark will be published in the trademark journal. The objection period is 2 months after the announcement. Anyone can submit an objection to the published trademark. During the objection period, if no third party objects to the trademark registration, or the objection is resolved in favor of the applicant, the Trademark Registration Office will issue a registration certificate to the applicant.
6. Documents required for trademark change/transfer:
- Name/address change information, and its English translation, requires certification
- power of attorney
- Transfer agreement and its English translation, need to be certified
- Trademark registration certificate
7. Trademark cancellation
- If a registered trademark has not been used for five consecutive years, anyone can request for cancellation of the published trademark.
8. Trademark objections
- Anyone can file an objection request against the announced trademark within 30 working days from the date of trademark announcement.
9. Authorization, validity period and trademark renewal
- The authorization fee is payable at the time of notification of authorization. The initial protection period is 7 years from the date of application and can be renewed for 14 years each time. Renewal applications must be submitted within 3 months before the trademark expires. It can be renewed within 1 month after expiration, and late payment fees are required. Renewal requires submission of a power of attorney.
10. Average time for trademark authorization
- If the registration goes smoothly, the average time for trademark registration in Nigeria is 12-24 months.
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