Protecting your brand: registering a trademark in Ghana
Why registration matters, how the process works and how long protection lasts under Act 664.
· 1 min read
A business name registration does not give exclusive rights to a brand. Protection for names, logos and other marks comes from registration under the Trade Marks Act, 2004 (Act 664).
What can be registered
Any sign capable of distinguishing your goods or services, such as a word, logo, or combination of them, provided it is not descriptive, misleading or confusingly similar to an earlier mark.
The process
Search the register, apply for the relevant classes of goods or services, respond to any objections, and wait for the publication period during which others may oppose.
Duration
Registration lasts ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods.
Enforcement
A registered owner can sue for infringement and ask the court to stop the use of a confusingly similar mark.
Sources
- Trade Marks Act, 2004 (Act 664)
- Registrar-General's Department (industrial property)
- GhaLII, Ghana Legal Information Institute (texts of Ghanaian statutes and judgments)
This article is general information about Ghanaian law, not legal advice. Speak to a lawyer about your own situation.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Please contact us about your own situation.
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