British Virgin Islands-柏斯特(深圳)国际知识产权服务有限公司

Trademarks

North & South America

Trademark Registration in the British Virgin Islands

Overview of British Virgin Islands Trademarks

1. The British Virgin Islands are located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, at the northern end of the Leeward Islands, 100 kilometers off the east coast of Puerto Rico. Columbus arrived on the island in 1493. It was annexed by England in 1672. In 1872, it became part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands and was under the jurisdiction of the Governor of the Leeward Islands until 1960. It is now a British territory. The economy is mainly driven by tourism and finance, accounting for half of the colonial revenue, with tourism operators being the largest employers on the island.
2. The current trademark regulations in the British Virgin Islands are mainly based on the April 2013 version of the Trademark Law and the April 2015 version of the Trademark Regulations. The new laws came into effect on September 1, 2015, allowing the trademark legal system in the area to directly enter the 21st century from the 18th century.
3. The official language of the British Virgin Islands is English.
4. The British Virgin Islands adopts the Nice classification and accepts applications for multiple categories on one form.

Application

Before the implementation of the new law in the British Virgin Islands, there were two ways to register.

One is to extend protection based on UK registration, and the application can only be based on goods or services registered in the UK;

The second option is to apply for registration directly in the local area, using the local classification table (the classification table during the UK mechanism era). Since September 1, 2015, trademark registration based on UK registration is no longer applicable in the local area.

Validity period and renewal

The trademark registration in the British Virgin Islands is valid for 10 years from the date of application; Renewal can be processed within 6 months before the expiration date, with a grace period of 6 months; The renewal is valid for 10 years. If a trademark is not used continuously for three years after registration, anyone can apply for revocation.

Required documents

If the applicant does not reside in the British Virgin Islands, they must entrust a local specialized agent to handle it. The basic materials required for trademark application are:

2. Trademark design;

3. Name and address of the applicant;

4. The power of attorney needs to be notarized;

5. The application statement needs to be notarized.

Application process

Application - Acceptance - Examination - Announcement - Approval and Issuance of Certificates.

If everything goes smoothly, the entire application process will take approximately one year.