South Sudan opts for interim reservation scheme for trade marks

Afro-Leo has received the following information via a circular from SMAS Intellectual Property, Khartoum, Sudan:

"Following separation of Southern Sudan, and its emerging as a new State, and the absence of legislation and laws regulating Intellectual Property field which resulted from it, the Ministry of Justice in Southern Sudan has issued directives to officials at the Trade Mark Office that they adopt certain procedures known as “Reservation of a Trade Mark” until issuance of a trade mark law. These procedures may be summarized as follows: 

1. A written application is submitted to the Registrar indicating the trade mark sought to be protected, as well as prints of the mark in question. 

2. The Registrar will conduct search in the data base of the Registry to ascertain whether the mark is registered or not. 

3. If it turned out that the mark is not registered, it will be “reserved” in the applicant’s name , and no other person will be allowed to use that mark. 

Please note that no official fees have been fixed yet for such procedure".

This weblog is grateful to SMAS Intellectual Property for this information and hopes to be able to update it in due course.