- African
1. Mozambique is located in the southeast of Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the Gulf of Guinea to the south, and Senegal and Burundi to the east. Mozambique is one of the least developed countries in the world, with an economy dominated by agriculture and a weak industrial foundation. Its main exports are oil, sugar, and timber. Due to the fact that Mozambicans are engaged in agriculture, their trade relations with China are quite close. According to the latest statistics from 2019, Mozambique has established friendly commercial relations with China. China is Mozambique's largest trading partner and main source of investment. As of the end of 2018, China has become Mozambique's largest investor and trading partner.
2. The current trademark regulations in Mozambique are mainly based on the Industrial Property Law that came into effect on June 12, 2006. The Mozambique Industrial Property Office is responsible for managing trademark affairs, and the official language is Portuguese.
3. Mozambique adopts the principle of "application first".
4. Mozambique trademark registration adopts the Nice classification, and the elements that can be registered as trademarks include: text, graphics, color combinations, etc.
Mozambique is a contracting party to international intellectual property treaties such as the Paris Convention, the WIPO Convention, the Madrid Agreement, and the Madrid Protocol. Therefore, trademark registration in Mozambique can be done through either "single country registration" or "Madrid International Registration".
Mozambique is also a member state of ARIPO, so trademark registration can be handled through the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization.
The Mozambique trademark is valid for 10 years after registration, and can be renewed within 6 months before the expiration date. The renewal period is 10 years. An oath of use must be provided within 5 years from the date of trademark registration in Mozambique, otherwise the exclusive right to use the trademark will become invalid.
1. Trademark design;
2. Specific categories and product/service items;
3. Name and address of the applicant;
If priority is declared, proof of priority and corresponding Portuguese translation must be provided.
Applicants can directly submit trademark registration applications to the Mozambique Intellectual Property Office (INAPI). INAPI is responsible for accepting and approving trademark registration applications, as well as managing the trademark database.
INAPI will conduct a formal review of the submitted application, including the completeness, standardization, and authenticity of the application documents. If the application documents have defects or do not meet the requirements, INAPI will notify the applicant to make corrections or modifications
After the formal examination is approved, INAPI will conduct substantive examination of the applied trademark, including prior rights search, legality examination, distinctiveness examination, etc. If a trademark is found to conflict with prior rights or violate relevant laws, INAPI will notify the applicant to respond or modify.
After the substantive examination is approved, INAPI will announce the trademark application and accept public objections. Anyone can file an objection application with INAPI during the announcement period, stating reasons and evidence to oppose the registration of the trademark.
If no objections are received or resolved within the announcement period, INAPI will approve the registration of the trademark and issue a trademark registration certificate
