Summary of the guide:
- Laws relating to Trademark in Egypt
- Trademark registration process in Egypt
- How long does it take to get a trademark registration in Egypt?
- Examination criteria for trademarks in Egypt
- Costs for trademark registration in Egypt
- How long is a trademark protected for?
- When does the protection of a trademark in Egypt start?
- What trademark classes are available in Egypt?
- What are the documents required for trademark protection in Egypt?
- What are important deadlines for trademark protection in Egypt?
- Are international trademarks available in Egypt?
- National Vs International trademark in Egypt?
- Local tips for trademark registration in Egypt
- Service level guarantee for trademark registration in Egypt
Laws relating to Trademark in Egypt
Trademark registration process in Egypt
Filing – you file the trademark at the TM department.
Publication – if the mark is accepted and not rejected, then it will be published for 60 days (opposition period).
Registration – after the opposition/publication period ends, you can pay the final registration fees and receive your trademark certificate.
After filing a trademark at the trademark office, and settling official fees relating to filing the trademark examiners at the TM department at the internal trade development authority (ITDA) in Egypt to examine trademark applications, the examination process takes place on two levels:
Formal examinations of trademarks in Egypt - are examinations that take into account regulatory, formal, or documentary aspects of the trademark filing requirements. In other words, an examiner will look at, whether all the required documents for filing have been submitted, whether these documents have been properly authenticated (legalized or locally legalized), whether the fees have been settled, whether the applicant is entitled to register a trademark locally, whether the classes designated are available locally, and whether priority documents are included or not.
Substantive examinations of trademarks in Egypt - are conducted by examiners at the TM department at the internal trade development authority (ITDA).
How long does it take to get a trademark registration in Egypt?
It takes anywhere between 12 to 18 months to receive a trademark registration certificate.
Examination criteria for trademarks in Egypt
The examination criteria are both on absolute grounds and relative grounds:
Absolute grounds for trademark refusals in Egypt are:
- Trademarks that are devoid of any distinctive character.
- Trademarks exclusively consist of signs regularly used in trade, to refer to a type, kind, quality, quantity, intended purpose, value, geographical origin, or other characteristics relating to the goods or service the trademark is registered on.
- Trademarks exclusively consist of signs or indications that are used in the normal course of the trade.
- Trademarks that are contrary to public policy.
- Trademarks that are contrary to public morals and ethics.
- Trademarks that deceive the public, as to the nature, quality, or source of the goods or services.
- Trademarks which include public emblems, flags, and other symbols relating to the state, Arab, or international organizations, or one of their institutions, or a foreign state unless so authorized by it, as well as any imitation of such emblems, flags, or symbols.
- Trademarks include symbols of the Red Crescent or Red Cross and other similar imitating symbols.
- Trademarks that are similar to or resemble symbols of a purely religious character.
- Trademarks are geographical names whose protection or use create confusion as to the origin or source of the goods, the products, or the services.
- Trademarks are essentially the name, surname, picture, or emblem of a third party unless prior approval is provided.
- Trademarks which are indications of honorary distinctions that the applicant for registration cannot prove.
Relative grounds for trademark refusals - assess whether a trademark application filed in Egypt may confuse due to the similarity with a previously registered or famous trademark locally.
Costs for trademark registration in Egypt
Costs relating to trademark registration are both official and professional. Official fees are fees paid to the government for processing your trademark registration and are required to be paid for each phase of the process.
Professional fees for trademark registration
Professional fees for trademark registration in Egypt range from USD160 to USD1,500 depending on the service provider you are working with. Easy trademarks provide cost-effective solutions and have professional fees ranging from USD160 to USD300 depending on the package you choose, as we leverage legal technology, which provides the brand owners with the ability to get premium service, consistency, and delivery at a cost-effective price. Once you are ready to start, choose the package you want and you will see the total official fees and professional fees for each package.
Official fees for trademark registration
Official Filing fees of a trademark = USD9
Official Publication fees of a trademark = USD9
Official Final Registration fees of a trademark = USD8
In Egypt, the total official fee for trademark registration is around USD26.
How long is a trademark protected for?
A trademark is valid for 10 years from the filing date.
When does the protection of a trademark in Egypt start?
Protection of a trademark in Egypt starts from the filing date. In other words, a trademark owner does not have to wait until a trademark is registered in Egypt to have protection. This protection starts immediately when the trademark is filed (lodged at the trademark office).
What trademark classes are available in Egypt?
A trademark owner who is usually referred to as an applicant can file more than one class under a trademark application since Egypt is a multi-class system. An applicant can protect a trademark on all 45 classes. Every trademark is registered on a specific list of goods (products or services). In Egypt, there is no limitation on the number of classes you can register your trademark on.
The TMO has required lately that trademark applications have to specify the goods or services listed in each class. General claims for all goods or services within a category will result in an Office Action. Ensure your applications meet the new standards for better protection of your trademark.
What are the documents required for trademark protection in Egypt?
A Power of Attorney
- If you are not a resident of Egypt, a legalized power of attorney is required for trademark registration in Egypt. A legalized power of attorney means that the power should be stamped at the Egyptian embassy the applicant is from to be enforceable locally within Egypt.
- If you are a resident or a national or living in Egypt, then the power of attorney should be notarized and a copy of your trade license or Egyptian ID will be sufficient to file the trademark locally. Notarizing the POA can be completed through a quick visit to the notary.
- The power of attorney can be submitted within 6 months from filing. You can file your trademark in Egypt without a legalized power of attorney, and submit it later on within 6 months calculated from the filing date
Trade License / Commercial Certificate / Certificate of Good Standing:
- If you are a local entity, then a trade license is required, and a simple copy of the license as long as it is valid.
- If you are an international company, a license is NOT required.
What are important deadlines for trademark protection in Egypt?
The power of attorney can be submitted within 6 months from filing. You can file your trademark in Egypt without a legalized power of attorney, and submit it later on within 6 months calculated from the filing date.
Are international trademarks available in Egypt?
If you want to register your trademark internationally and target specific countries you can designate Egypt through an international application, which you will have to go through a trademark registration process in Egypt.
Local tips for trademark registration in Egypt
- To register your trademark in Egypt, you will need to translate applicant details, list of goods (classes), and trademark details into the Arabic language.
- Trademark examinations in Egypt take a very long time, and around 50% of trademark applications receive an office action, so it is best to file a trademark as soon as you come up with it, and by the time you receive a decision, you will know whether you want to continue protection or not. The lower official fees in Egypt allow applicants to do so as the cost-benefit is evident.
- While Egypt has a multi-class system, it is best to file each class in a separate application as office actions on multi-class applications are more likely and delay the protection of all classes.
Service level guarantee for trademark registration in Egypt
If you require approval from management, you can print this page and obtain approvals. Remember to choose the package you want. If you are not a lawyer, we recommend you choose the premium package. We have individually vetted and certified all trademark agents, and have provided them with a proprietary system owned by Easy Trademarks to guarantee the level of service you will receive.
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