Tanzanian Advocates & Trademark Agents Serving All African Countries

For new and established companies alike, trademarks are important assets that require careful protection. Companies that fail to take the necessary steps to register and protect their marks risk losing their rights to their competitors. At Lexglobe IP Services, we assist companies of all sizes with all aspects of protecting their trademarks, from registration and renewal to combating infringers and seeking cancellation of competing marks.

Our Services for Trademark Owners and Applicants

Trademark Registration Process

We regularly assist trademark owners in filing for registration in Tanzania and Zanzibar. While trademark owners can acquire certain rights by simply using their marks, trademark registration affords several important benefits – including exclusivity of use – and is an important step toward protecting your intellectual property.

Trademark Use & Renewal

Trademark registrations lapse if not renewed on a timely basis. In Tanzania, initial trademark registrations are valid for seven years, and then may be renewed indefinitely for successive ten year periods. In Zanzibar, the initial registration period is 10 years, and trademark owners must file for renewal every seven years thereafter. Renewing a trademark registration requires proof of use and compliance with various other formalities. We can assist you in completing the trademark renewal process.

Trademark Licenses & Assignments

In Tanzania and Zanzibar, registered trademark owners can assign their trademark rights either (i) in their entirety, or (ii) with respect to only certain goods or services. All assignments must be recorded with the Trademark Office. Trademark owners grant licenses in Tanzania as well, with licenses similarly being subject to mandatory recording. We represent existing trademark registrants as well as assignees and licensees (called “registered users”) in all aspects of trademark licensing and transfers.

Trademark Cancellation & Infringement

Trademark registrations are subject to cancellation under a number of different circumstances. In Tanzania, these include non-use, loss of distinctiveness, fraud and violating the conditions for registration. Any other trademark owner who is adversely affected by an improper registration can petition the Trademark Office for cancellation.

Infringement involves the use of a mark that is identical or confusingly-similar to a registered trademark without the registrant’s consent. Registered trademark owners have a number of options for combating infringement, including filing for relief in the High Court of Tanzania.

Trademark Regional Protection

In addition to prosecuting trademark registration applications under the legislation of Tanzania and Zanzibar, we also represent trademark owners in seeking regional registrations with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the Organisation Africaine de le Propiete Intellectuelle (OAPI). ARIPO and OAPI registrations offer protection in a number of important jurisdictions throughout Africa, including:

ARIPO Member States

Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

OAPI Member States

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Speak with a Trademark Lawyer in Tanzania at Lexglobe IP Services

If you would like more information about protecting your trademarks, we invite you to contact us for a confidential consultation. We return phone calls and email same-day, and our lawyers and trademark agents are available to assist clients 24/7. Get started today – call 255 22 212 4127 or send us an email now.