Trademark registration in Cameroon. Cameroon is a country in west-central Africa. Cameroon has many major export markets include the Netherlands, France, China, Belgium, Italy, Algeria, and Malaysia. Therefore, many businesses want to expand their network to Cameroon and one of the most important notes businesses need to pay attention to before entering this market is the trademark registration procedure in Cameroon.
Allowed elements in trademark registration in Cameroon
- Words, logos, slogans, mottos, names, letters, numbers, symbols, emblems, shapes, designs, features of packaging, color combinations, animations, or combinations of those signs, along with sounds are the elements that may be used as trade or service marks in Cameroon.
- Figurative elements include designs, pictures, drawings of landscapes, animals, people, things, ornaments, shapes, houses, stars, fictitious beings, geometrical figures, and solids whether real or abstract representations may be used as trade or service marks in Cameroon.
- Trademarks may be 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional which include forms of containers, holders, packages, or the shape of the goods.
Forbidden elements in trademark registration in Cameroon
- A mark that is devoid of distinctiveness;
- A mark that is identical to a registered mark that belongs to another owner;
- A mark that resembles a mark that it is liable to mislead or confuse;
- A mark that is contrary to public policy, morality, or the law;
- A mark that is liable to mislead the public or business circles, distinctly as to the geographical origin, nature, or characteristics of the goods or services in question;
- A mark that reproduces imitates or incorporates armorial bearings, flags, or other emblems;
- A mark that is the abbreviated name, acronym, or an official sign or hallmark indicating control and warranty of a State or intergovernmental organization established by an international convention.
Necessary documents for trademark registration in Cameroon
In order to register a trademark in Cameroon, the applicants need to prepare the following necessary documents for trademark registration in Cameroon:
- The applicant’s name, address, and nationality.
- Power of attorney (POA) signed within 3 months after the date of registration.
- Certified copy of priority (If any).
- Classes and specifications of goods and/or services.
- Model of the trademark.
- Address of mandate.
- Other required documents, etc.
The procedure of trademark registration in Cameroon
- The application is filed at the Trademark Office.
- The application then goes through a formal examination, an examination of distinctiveness, and a search for prior trademarks that have already been registered. If distinctiveness has been acquired by use in practice, signs which aren’t considered distinctive in the examination can be registered nevertheless.
- If there are no problems in the formal examination at the Directorate of Technological Development and Industrial Property, the trademark will be published for opposition by related parties. After the end of the opposition period, trademark owners will receive status updates as soon as the publication of their mark, along with notifications if opposition actions are called for.
- If no oppositions arise and the trademark is formally approved, the trademark will be registered in Cameroon
Note:
As Cameroon is a member of the Paris Convention, trademark owners can claim the priority if they filed the application in the national trademark offices of countries that are part of the Paris Convention.
You can see a list of Cameroon IP firms here.