Trademarks
What is a Trademark?
A trademark is a distinctive sign that identifies certain goods or services produced or provided by an individual or a company from those of other enterprises. A Trademark may consist of any word, symbol, design, slogan, logo, sound, smell, colour, label, name, signature, letter, numeral or any combination of them and should be capable of being represented graphically. The Trademark has to be distinctive, non-descriptive and not likely to cause confusion.The Trademark owner has the exclusive rights to prevent others from using the same or confusingly similar mark.
Why register a Trademark?
- Registration of a trademark gives the owner an exclusive right to use the registered mark on the goods and/or services for which it is registered.
- The owner of a registered mark can sue for infringement of his registration if someone else uses the same or a similar mark on the same or similar goods and/or services for which the mark is registered.
- Registration gives one’s business the ability to distinguish itself from other providers in the market and prohibits others from capitalizing on an enterprise’s marketing efforts and good will.
What is the procedure for applying for a trade mark?
Step 1: A person who intends to apply for the registration of a trademark shall carry out a search to ascertain whether the trademark exists in the register upon payment of a prescribed fee.
Step 2: A trademark application is then filed upon payment of application fees. The application should contain the mark proposed to be used, the class of goods or services, the name, address and the signature of applicant. If the applicant is a foreign company, a Power of Attorney or Form of Authorization (TM no. 1) to an agent (Advocate of the High Court) will be required.
Step 3: The application is then examined to determine its inherent registrability and conflict with prior existing registrations /applications.
Step 4: If accepted, the application will be advertised in the Uganda Gazette for 60 days.
Step 5: If there is no opposition after the expiration of 60 days of the advertisement, the Registrar shall upon payment of the prescribed fee by the applicant enter the Trademark in the register and issue a Certificate of registration.
How long is a trade mark valid for?
A trademark is valid for seven years from the filing date of the application and may be renewed indefinitely for successive ten year periods upon payment of the prescribed renewal fee.
Who may apply for a trade mark?
Any person or corporation who is the owner of a mark used, or proposed to be used, by him in Uganda, may make an application for the registration of a mark in this country.
Can I appoint someone to apply on my behalf?
Applications may be made either by the owners of marks or by agents in the names of and on behalf of the owners. The agent must be an Advocate of the High Court.
Trademark Fee
| Sub category | Amount(Local Applicant) UGX | Amount (Foreign Applicant) USD |
| Search Report Fees | 25,000 | 65 |
| Application Fees | 50,000 | 150 |
| Registration fees | 100,000 | 250 |
Copyrights 
Trademarks
Utility Model And Patents 
Industrial Design 
Geographical Indications 
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