South Africa: IRAQ – Trade Marks Update June 2003

We are pleased to report that the IRAQ Trade Marks office resumed operations as from June 2003.

The most important development is that the "BOYCOTT DECLARATION" is no longer required for filing the Trade Mark applications.

We have already filed a number of applications (where a filing date and application number has been allotted) based on the strength of the undertaking to file the required POWER OF ATTORNEY later. This has and will prove beneficial to Trade Mark Owners who wish to file New Trade Mark applications immediately as the legalization process of the POWER OF ATTORNEY can take some time.

The International Classification of Goods and Services (Nice Classification) for the purpose of registration of marks is followed BUT with local sub classes. (42 classes) (contact us for the appropriate classification)

The procedure is as follows - Applications are filed and examination is done. If acceptable (with or without conditions), the application is advertised in 3 consecutive issues of the Official Trademarks Journal. A period of 90 days from the last publication is given to any interested party to raise any opposition. If no objections, it proceeds for registration and a certificate is issued.

The registration period is for fifteen years, after which the registration may be renewed for subsequent similar periods.

In a smooth prosecution, it would normally take a period of 15 months to obtain registration.

Name, address, status of applicant 

20 prints of the mark (Under local laws, the Arabic transliteration must appear above the Latin script 

List of goods/services 

Classification – Class and sub class 

Power of attorney, attached herewith – must be legalized and is a requirement for obtaining a filing date

Additional requirements are needed in case of class 34 applications.

Legalization can be done by Jordan consulate in applicant’s country (as Iraq consulate would be difficult at the moment) and we will handle the further local legalization from Jordan. These would incur additional charges.