Inventa is a leading Intellectual Property Law Firm, specialized in the protection and internationalization of trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright and domain names. With over 50 years of experience in Portugal, the European Union and all the African jurisdictions, Inventa has served thousands of clients holding large trademark and patent portfolios, and other entities dealing with R&D daily.
Our headquarters are based in Lisbon, Portugal, and we also have offices in Angola, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, East Timor and Macao. Inventa also holds a large network of representatives all across the African region, including representation before the ARIPO and OAPI regional organizations, committed to delivering global coverage with local experience.
The law 31/2009 on the Protection of Intellectual Property, came
into force in Rwanda on 14, December 2009, as
previously announced. Before the approval of this legislation,
trademarks registered in this jurisdiction were conceded for an
undetermined time frame.
Within the new framework trademark registrations are valid
for a 10-year period, counting from the filing date. This means
that all trademarks registered in Rwanda before 2009 must
be renewed until 14 December 2019, since the renovation
period has started counting from the date when the law 31/2009
became into force.
It is recommended to file for trademark renewals before the
deadline of 14, December 2019. Even though there's a grace
period for late renewals this may carry the payment of extra
fees.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.
