Trademarks hold the unique identity of any business. Registering a trademark refers to its protection. It means that registration protects your trademark from misuse. It also ensures that if any business uses your trademark without making any legal contract, you may take legal action against that business. However, if the trademark of your business is not registered, restoring its legal rights is very difficult and even impossible sometimes. No matter if you are a foreigner running your business in Nigeria or a Nigerian Citizen, Worldwide Trademark Registration Experts may help you register trademarks for the businesses in Nigeria. However, experienced Trademark Infringement lawyers in Nigeria can assist businessmen to restore the legal rights of the trademark in case of any misuse.
Who can apply for trademark registration in Nigeria?
As per Trade Marks Act LFN 1990, any business under the territory of Nigeria can apply for Nigerian Trademark registration. But as Nigeria is not a part of the Madrid Protocol, foreign business owners should consult with a Worldwide Trademark Registration Expert to learn the chances of trademark registration.
Eligibility for registration
To check the eligibility criteria, the business must contain one of the following things :
● Company’s or Firm’s name must be represented in a particular manner.
● The signature of the applicant is required during registration.
● Any invented word or words
● Any word but it must not refer to the quality of the goods or product directly.
● Any other unique mark.
To learn more, please consult expert trademark registration lawyers.
Requirements to register a trademark in Nigeria
If you are going to register the trademark of your business in Nigeria, the applicant must provide the following documents :
● The particular trademark ( It can be a logo or any word or any other unique design)
● Name of the applicant and business
● Contact information of the applicants
● Power of attorney that proves the authorization of the agent.
● The list of services that are covered under the trademark.
Application process
Research and application
The first step is research. Applicants need to search if there is no similar or identical trademark already registered. If there is no similarity, you need to apply for the initial registration of a trademark.
Acceptance
If your trademark application is approved, the registrar issues an acknowledgment as proof of the recipient. The acknowledgment is issued to give the applicant confidence to proceed to the next step. It is also proof that your trademark is previously registered. Take note that the letter of acceptance is required to proceed to the next step.
Publication and certification
The third and final stage deals with the publication of the trademark in the trademark journal. During the publication period, if anyone wants to oppose the registration, they can. If the protestor can prove his or her claim, the registration process might get canceled. However, if no protest is registered, the trademark registration process will complete seamlessly.
To learn more about the trademark registration process in Nigeria, feel free to consult Worldwide Trademark Registration Experts in eLegal Consultants.
