Djibouti is located on the west coast of the Gulf of Aden in northeastern Africa, and its current trademark regulations are mainly based on the Industrial Property Protection Law promulgated on June 21, 2009. The Ministry of Industry and Trademark is responsible for managing intellectual property affairs, and the official languages are French and Arabic. Trademark exclusive rights need to be obtained through registration. The registration of Qingbuti trademark adopts the principle of "application first", and unregistered trademarks are difficult to be protected.
Djibouti is a signatory to international intellectual property treaties such as the TRIPS Agreement, Paris Convention, and WIPO Convention, and has not yet joined the Madrid System. Therefore, trademark registration can only be processed through the "single country registration" method.
At present, the Djibouti authorities adopt the Nice Classification 11th edition of goods and services descriptions and accept applications for multiple categories in one form. The elements that can be registered as trademarks in Djibouti include: text, name, graphics, three-dimensional identification, color combination, slogan, sound, etc.
If the applicant does not reside in Djibouti, they must entrust a specialized agent in their home country to handle the matter. The basic materials required for trademark application are:
1. Trademark design;
2. Specific product items;
3. Name and address of the applicant;
4. The original power of attorney can be signed;
5.If priority is declared, priority proof documents and corresponding French translations must be provided.
The main process for applying for registration of a Djibouti trademark is: application acceptance approval issuance. After the application is submitted, the official conducts a formal examination, mainly examining whether the application materials and classification information comply with regulations, whether the applied trademark has distinctiveness, and whether it violates the prohibition and prohibition clauses (mainly whether it violates public order and good customs). Generally, it takes about 4 weeks to know whether it is accepted; If not accepted, the official will issue a response notice to the applicant and request a defense within 3 months. Failure to defend within the deadline will be considered as giving up the application. If ultimately accepted, the application date will be the trademark registration date, and arrangements will be made to issue the trademark registration certificate. In a smooth situation, trademark registration in Djibouti usually takes about 6 months.
The Djibouti trademark is valid for 10 years after the registration period, with the validity period exceeding the application date. Renewal can be processed within 6 months of expiration, with a grace period of 6 months; The renewal is valid for 10 years.