Panama
Fees for registering Panama trademarks
First class：
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Additional class：
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Renewal:
Service Process
Trademark registration time
The current trademark regulations in Panama are mainly based on the Industrial Property Law promulgated on November 1, 1996, which was revised in 2012 and 2017. The Industrial Property Registration Center of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Panama is responsible for managing trademark affairs, and the official language is Spanish. Trademark exclusive rights need to be obtained through registration. Trademark registration is not mandatory, but in order to protect the trademark or renew it, it must be registered in accordance with the law. The trademark registration in Panama follows the principle of "use first".
Panama is a signatory to international intellectual property treaties such as the Paris Convention, the WIPO Convention, and the Trademark Law Treaty. It is neither a member of the Madrid Protocol nor the Madrid Agreement, so trademark registration can only be processed through "single country registration".
Trademark Registration Process
At present, Panama's trademark applications adopt the Nice Classification 11th edition for the description of goods and services, accepting applications for multiple categories in one form. The elements that can be registered as trademarks in Panama include: text, name, graphics, color combinations, sound, smell, etc.
If the applicant does not reside in Panama, 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 categories and product/service items;
3. Name and address of the applicant:
4. Power of attorney;
5. Explain that the trademark is registered in the country based on intended or actual use;
6.If priority is declared, proof of priority must be provided.
The main process for applying for the registration of a trademark in Panama is: application acceptance examination announcement approval issuance.
The application will be accepted within 2-3 weeks after submission. The examiner will conduct formal and substantive examinations on the application. Formal review mainly examines whether the application requirements and classification information comply with regulations; The substantive examination includes the examination of the distinctiveness of the trademark, whether it violates the prohibition and prohibition clauses, and whether it conflicts with the prior trademark. If the examination fails, a rejection notice will be issued and the applicant will be required to respond within the time limit specified in the rejection notice. If the substantive examination passes, it will be arranged for public announcement. Two months from the announcement date is the objection period, during which any interested party or prior rights holder may raise objections. The main reasons for raising objections are:
1. Conflict with prior trademarks, such as owning a prior registered trademark;
2. The trademark lacks distinctiveness;
3. The trademark has adverse effects;
4. Malicious registration;
5. Conflict with other prior rights, such as trade name rights, design rights, copyrights, personal names, etc.
If there are no objections or objections are not valid during the announcement period, registration can be approved and a registration certificate can be issued. In a smooth situation, trademark registration in Panama takes about one year; If there are any objections or rejections during the process, the time will be extended to 2-3 years.
Trademark registration materials
The Panama trademark is valid for 10 years after registration, starting from the date of application; Renewal must be processed within 12 months before the expiration date, with a grace period of 6 months. The renewal is valid for 10 years.
The invalidation or revocation application after trademark registration can generally be filed based on the following reasons:
1. Violating relevant laws and regulations; When applying for a trademark, it is known or should have been known that someone else has prior rights;
2.If a trademark has not been actually used in that country for five consecutive years after registration, anyone may apply for revocation; Except for force majeure.
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