The Republic of Kiribati is located in the central western Pacific Ocean and consists of 33 islands. It is the only country in the world that crosses the equator and the International Date Line, and also the only country in the world that crosses the North South Latitude and East West Longitude. The current trademark regulations in the Republic of Kiribati are mainly based on the Registration Clause of the UK Trademark Law promulgated on August 22, 1939. The Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Tourism of the Republic of Kiribati is responsible for managing trademark affairs, and the official language is English.
Trademark exclusive rights need to be obtained through registration. Due to the fact that the Republic of Kiribati was once a British colony and declared independence in 1979, it currently does not have its own trademark system or trademark laws. Trademark protection on the island can only be applied for based on existing UK single country registration. The Republic of Kiribati is a member state of the WIPO Convention.
Applications submitted based on existing UK registration foundations must be based on UK single country registration, and Madrid designated UK or EU applications cannot be considered valid foundations. The elements that can be registered as trademarks in the Republic of Kiribati include: text, letters, graphics, symbols, dynamic graphics, color combinations, three-dimensional shapes, etc. We do not accept applications for service trademarks and can accept multiple types of applications. If the applicant does not reside in the Republic of Kiribati, 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. The specific category and product items must have the same registration basis as in the UK;
3. The applicant's name and address must be the same as the registration basis in the UK;
4. Power of attorney;
5. Original registration certificate issued by the UK Intellectual Property Office;
6. Priority cannot be declared.
The main process for applying for registration of a trademark in the Republic of Kibalis based on the existing foundation in the UK is: application, filing, formal examination, approval, and certification. The application will be accepted 2-3 weeks after submission. The examiner will conduct a formal examination of the application. Formal review mainly examines whether the application requirements and classification information comply with regulations. There is no substantive examination and announcement system. If everything goes smoothly, it will take about one year to apply for registration based on the existing UK single country registration foundation.
The validity period of the Kiribati Republic trademark registration is the same as that of the UK Basic Registration. After the renewal of the UK Basic Registration is completed, the rights holder should notify the registrant of the Republic of Kiribati as soon as possible to renew the Kiribati Republic trademark registration. If the renewal is not requested within the deadline, the trademark will be invalid. The renewal period is also the same as the basic registration in the UK.
There is currently no system of "non use revocation" or "invalidation declaration" in the country. In the event of trademark infringement, the rights holder may appeal to the local court based on current UK trademark laws.