Nigerian Registry Releases New Trade Mark Journal.

On Wednesday 3 May 2017, the Nigeria Trademark Registry released a new trademark journal, Vol 1, No. 1. 2nd May 2017. This is the first journal to be published in over a year, the last journal was published in March 2016.

The Journal was released in hard copy and lists four thousand (4,000) trade mark applications. The advertised applications were filed between 2012 and 2015 and are limited to those applications filed through the manual filing system IPAS. There is currently no information from the Registry as to why this journal is only advertising applications filed through the IPAS system or if a separate journal for e-filings will be published in he near future.

Approximately 20,000 trade mark applications are filed annually in Nigeria. As such, there is still an enormous backlog of applications (approx. 30,000!) which have been filed and which have not yet been published. It is vital that that Registry publishes more journals this year to cater for the backlog of applications still awaiting publication.

It is not clear whether this paucity of journals is related to the leadership tussle that has been plaguing the Registry for the past 5 years. Either way, the problem needs to be rectified, soon.

For more information on the recently released journal email Rouse Africa