Trademark Procedure

The Intellectual Property Office will hear a first office action on an application within six to eight months of it being submitted. At that point, in order to obtain permission for registration, an applicant might need to make changes to its application or address specific requests made by the Trademark Examiner. The Trademark Examiner’s decision of strength and availability will determine how long it takes to receive a registration; it could take as little as a year or several years. A mark is valid for ten years once it is registered and kept up to date, after which it can be renewed every ten years.

Requirements

•  A properly signed trademark application; authentication and notarization are no longer required.
• A certified copy of the home registration or application, if it is not in English, together with a validated translation into English. If and only if convention priority is being contested, then this document is required.
• A properly executed Special Power of Attorney (no longer requiring notarization or verification). This document may be presented during the application filing process or within a reasonable amount of time following;
• Sketches and copies of the trademark.
• Portrayal of the mark.
• Filing costs.