RWANDA – ARIPO
COUNTRY : REPUBLIC OF RWANDA
CAPITAL : KIGALI
LANGUAGE : ENGLISH
Trademarks are managed and granted by Office of the Registrar General Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in Rwanda.
International Treaties to which Rwanda is signatory:
- Paris Convention for the protection of industrial property
- Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights –TRIPS.
- Madrid Protocol for International filing of trademark.
- NICE Classification of Goods & Services
- Banjul Protocol for the Trademarks – ARIPO
- Berne Convention
PROTECTION OF TRADEMARKS IN RWANDA:
- National Registration – Direct Filing with National Trademark Office.
- International Registration – Through Madrid System.
- Banjul Protocol on Trademarks – ARIPO Countries.
Therefore, to obtain protection in Rwanda, there are three options from which the applicant can choose.
Please refer our Treaties section on International protection under Madrid System.
MEMBER STATES: ARIPO is a community of 18 Former English Colonies which are English speaking Countries.
Member Countries are: Member Countries are: Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation known more commonly by its acronym (ARIPO) was established at Lusaka through Banjul Protocol on Marks and is now headquartered along with its administrative offices at Harare, Zimbabwe.
It is to be noted that most of the ARIPO member countries have not amended their national laws to incorporate ARIPO’s guidelines on trademark law.
Therefore, all prospective applicants are requested to file applications for registration of trademarks through national registration system through the national IP offices.
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Kinds of Trademarks registrable in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Requisites for a Trademark to be registrable in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Kinds of Trademarks not registrable in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Search in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Filing in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Examination in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Publication & Opposition in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Registration in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Usage in RWANDA – ARIPO
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Trademark Cost of Registration in RWANDA – ARIPO