Trademark registration in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a double landlocked country in Central Asia. The Uzbek economy is in a gradual transition to the market economy, with foreign trade policy being based on import substitution. In September 2017, the country’s currency became fully convertible at market rates. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton. With the gigantic power-generation facilities from the Soviet era and an ample supply of natural gas, Uzbekistan has become the largest electricity producer in Central Asia. Accordingly, many businesses want to enter this market and one of the most important preparations a business needs to take before expanding to this country is to learn the procedure of trademark registration in Uzbekistan.
Necessary documents for trademark registration in Uzbekistan
Necessary documents for trademark registration in Uzbekistan include:
- The application for trademark registration in Uzbekistan;
- Detailed information of the applicant (name, nationality, and address, etc.);
- Detailed information of the representative or attorney (name, nationality, and address, etc.);
- Classification of goods and/or services;
- Trademark sample;
- Priority documents (If any);
- The prescribed fee;
- Other necessary documents.
Forbidden signs in Uzbekistan
Forbidden signs in Uzbekistan include:
- Generic terms;
- False or deceptive terms;
- Marks contrary to moral standards or public order;
- Names, flags, or symbols of states, nations, regions, or international organizations;
- Official signs and hallmarks indicating control and warranty;
- Official awards, decorations, and insignia used in Uzbekistan;
- Marks without acquired distinctiveness;
- Marks that function principally as geographic location names;
- Descriptive terms;
- Signs identical with or confusingly similar to an earlier right;
- Industrial designs;
- Names of works of science;
- Literature and art;
- Literary characters;
- Quotes;
- Works of art or parts thereof;
- Names or portraits of persons well known in Uzbekistan;
- Marks are part of the historical and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan.
The procedure of trademark registration in Uzbekistan
To obtain trademark protection in Uzbekistan, the applicant needs to file their trademark application to the IP Office of Uzbekistan.
After receiving the application, the examiners at the IP Office will issue an official notification of the receipt within 3-4 months from the filing date.
After that, the examiners will conduct substantive examinations on the application to check if the mark is registrable under the IP Law of Uzbekistan.
This process normally takes from 6-8 months.
If the mark meets all the requirements, the grant decision is issued and the applicant will receive the trademark certificate after payment of grant fees.
Oppositions of a trademark in Uzbekistan
Currently, there is no official procedure for filing an opposition in Uzbekistan. However, third-party observations against trademark registration may be filed during the whole examination procedure before the decision is taken by the IP Office.
Trademark protection period
After registration, a trademark in Uzbekistan will have a protection period of 10 years from the filing date and may be renewed every 10 years.
Every 10 years, the trademark owner must file for renewal of the trademark 12 months before the expiration date. Uzbekistan also provides a grace period of 6 months after the expiration date, upon payment of a late renewal fee.
Use requirement of a mark in Uzbekistan
Although It is legal to use an unregistered mark for any goods or services before the registration, however, after successful trademark registration in Uzbekistan, a trademark must be used within 5 years from the date of registration or last use.
The amount of use can be minimal but must occur in this jurisdiction.
If the trademark owner does not use the mark for an extensive period of time, the mark can be attacked on grounds of non-use.
You can see a list of Uzbekistan IP firms here.