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Although you have access to the trademark forms, and although the forms may appear simple to complete, simple errors can have devastating effects, including significant delays in the time to register the mark, potential cancellation of the mark, and potential abandonment of the mark.
History of Trademark Legislation in Belize
Prior to the enactment of the June 22, 2000 Trademarks Act, most Trademarks in Belize could only be protected through a system of so-called “Cautionary Notices”. Only trademarks that had been registered in the UK could be registered in Belize. The new Trademarks Act of Belize repealed the United Kingdom Trademarks Act and the Merchandise Marks Act. Any mark previously registered under the United Kingdom Trademark Act upon expiry required re-registration under the new Trademark Act of Belize. All marks previously “protected” by Cautionary Notices now require registration with BELIPO.
NICE Classification of Trademarks:
Belize is a party to the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration Agreement (NICE). The NICE Classification was incorporated into local Trademark Law by direction issue under Rule 59 of the Trademark Rules as set out in BELIPO Intellectual Property Journal Vol. 6- No. 4.
Each country which is a party to the Nice Classification Agreement is obliged to apply the Nice Classification in connection with the registration of marks, either as the principal classification or as a subsidiary classification, and has to include in the official documents and publications relating to its registration of marks the numbers of the classes of the Classification to which the goods or services for which the marks are registered belong. The NICE classification is available at: http://www.wipo.int/classifications/nivilo/nice/index.htm
The alphabetical list of Goods and Services and the Explanatory Notes of the Nice Classification, shall be consulted when classifying each individual product or service. The class headings in Schedule III of the Trademarks Act (CAP. 257) only indicate in a general manner the fields to which the goods and services in principle belong.
Use of the Nice Classification is mandatory not only for the national registration of marks in countries that are party to the Nice Agreement, but also for the international registration of marks effected by the International Bureau of WIPO, under theMadrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and under the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, and for the registration of marks by the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), by the Benelux Trademark Office (BBM) and by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trademarks and Designs) (OHIM).
Benefits of Trademark Protection
By registering a trademark a proprietor is afforded protection of his mark since he is granted exclusive right to use the said mark to identify his goods and/or services. Trademark protection is also enforced by the Supreme Court of Belize and is directed at eliminating unfair competitors, such as counterfeiters, who use similar marks to market inferior quality products.
We are able to assist you with the following trademark services:
a) Opposition of Trademarks in Belize
b) Opinions with regards to Trademarks
c) Renewal of Trademarks in Belize
d) Registration of Trademarks in Belize
e) Application for change of Agent