Summary
It normally takes about 1 ½ - 2 years for an application to mature into registration.
Term of Protection
The term of protection for a registered mark is 10 years as of the filing date. The term can be extended for the same duration within a period of not more than 12 months before the expiry of the protection period.
Procedure of Registration
An application which has been fulfilled the formality requirements will proceed to the step of substantial examination. The substantial examination will be finished in the period of 9 months at the latest. In this period, the Registrar will decide whether the mark is registered or not. If the mark can be registered, the mark will be published within the period of 3 months. In the period of publication, any party may file an opposition against the registration of the mark.
If there is an opposition, the Registrar will re-examine the mark within the period of two months as of the date of expiry of publication. If there is no opposition, the Registrar will register the mark and grant a Mark Certificate to the applicant within a period of 30 days at the latest from the date of the expiry of the publication.
If a mark is refused by the Registrar, an appeal to the Registrar's decision can be filed after the decision has been issued.
Priority Rights
An applicant of a trade mark registration can claim the priority rights within a period of 6 months at the latest as of the first filing date of the application in another country, which is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property or a member of the World Trade Organization.