News: Trademark registration in Afghanistan

Registration of trademarks in Afghanistan

In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan increasingly attracts foreign business, including companies from the post-Soviet countries. Important moment when doing business in Afghanistan is obtaining rights to trademarks. It is possible to obtain them only by registering trademark in Afghanistan.

Registration procedure for TM in Afghanistan

Since Afghanistan is not a party to the Madrid Agreement or the Protocol thereto, as well as to other international and regional organizations, it is only possible to register trademark in accordance with national procedure. In such countries, the national registration procedure is the only possibility to obtain protection for the trademark. As a rule, it includes range of mandatory stages, namely:

• Filing application with the national patent office;
• Examination of the application;
• Making decision upon the results of the conducted examinations;
• Publication in the official bulletin;
• Issuance of title of protection (trademark certificate).

It is essential to indicate all goods and services for which the trademark is intended to be used in Afghanistan, as well as the classes of the ICGS corresponding to them.In the application for registration of the trademark. Exclusive right can only apply to goods and services specified in the certificate of registration.

If the application is recognized as meeting all the requirements and the entire consideration process is successful, then the Department makes the decision to register the trademark. The applicant pays registration fee, and upon applying to the Department he receives certificate of registration of the trademark.

There are restrictions on the registration of trademarks in Afghanistan as in most Islamic countries. In accordance with Islamic traditions, registration of trademarks, which are associated with alcohol, pork, as well as services of various drinking establishments and nightclubs, is not allowed.

If you apply to Law&Trust International, you will certainly receive qualified assistance in all aspects of registering a brand name in Afghanistan, starting from submission of application up to obtaining certificate of registration.