Trademark Registration
Is there a time frame for the trademark registration approval?
The average time frame for the registration approval is 10 months, if no objections or oppositions arise.
If I register my trademark in Morocco, do I have protection in other territories?
No. The mark will be protected only in the territory of Morocco.
Do I need to sign a Power of Attorney?
Yes. Applicants are required to submit a power of attorney.
Are there any benefits from a pre-filing use of the trademark?
No. There is no benefit from pre-filing use of the mark. Rights are established only through registration.
Will there be problems in case I don’t use my trademark after registration?
Yes. If the registered mark does not meet the requirements with regards to usage, it will be vulnerable to revocation of rights.
What are the types of trademark that can be registered in Morocco?
Marks that can be recreated or replicated graphically and signs that can help the public distinguish a good or service from its counterparts is allowed for registration.
- slogan
- word
- name
- colors
- shapes (3-dimensional)
- devices
- geographical names
- letters
- seals
- numbers
- hologram
- acronym
- smell
- trade dress
- sound
What are the phases of application after a trademark has been filed in Morocco?
The order of trademark application in Morocco is as follows:
-
Examination – All applications are examined according to:
- Compliance to requirements
- Classification of goods/services
- Descriptiveness
- Capability of the mark to be represented graphically
- Deceptiveness
- Conflict with earlier registrations
-
Publication – Information about the trademark application will be posted online and will be published in the Trademark Gazette. This will allow the public to oppose if needed.
- Mark
- Applicant’s name
- Application number
- Application date
- Goods/services
-
Registration – Once the examiners approved the mark and there are no oppositions after the publication or the oppositions are dismissed, the trademark office will grant the registration certificate
What type of trademark is non-registrable?
The trademark law of Morocco does not accept the following marks for registration:
- Marks that are against public order or oppose moral standards
- Generic words or common terms
- Names/flags/symbols of nations/states/regions and international organizations
- Marks that lack distinctive qualities
- Marks that mislead the consumers as to the good’s origin of place or quality
Does Morocco use the "Nice Classification" system?
Yes. Nice Classification is applicable in Morocco.
Is there any possibility to claim priority in Morocco?
The home application filing date can be acknowledged as the Morocco filing date if:
- Home country is a Paris Convention signatory
- Home filing date is within 6 months from the date of filing in Morocco
- International registration can be based in Morocco
What do I need to do to satisfy the use requirement?
To satisfy the requirement, the owner must use the mark on a business scale and within this jurisdiction. There should be no 5-year gap between each use.
Once my trademark has been registered, for how many years will be valid?
Registered marks in Morocco are valid for 10 years starting from the date of application.
What will be the renewal date of my trademark?
The first renewal date is done on the 10th year after the filing of application date.
Is it legal to use my trademark even if it is not yet registered?
Yes. Unregistered marks are legally allowed to be used for goods and services.
Does having a registered trademark in Morocco afford me any right?
Morocco law requires registration of trademark in order for the owner to secure rights.
What is the web address of the trademark national office?
Is there any need to use my trademark before I apply for registration?
No. Applicants are not required to actually use the mark or to have intention to use the mark before applying for registration.
What are the grounds for a Trademark Application to be opposed?
Here are the grounds for an application to be opposed:
- Proprietary rights
- Breach of copyright
- Generic marks
- Issues against morality and public policy
- Conflict with a personal name
- Conflict with a registered design
- Conflict with a trade name
- Registration under agent’s name
- Use of protected flags, state emblems and armorial bearings
- Functional marks
- Misleading/disparaging/deceptive marks
- Not distinctive marks
- Descriptive marks
- Use of a geographical indication
- Conflict with a notorious or famous mark
Who can contest my trademark registration?
Owners and licensees of an earlier right can oppose the application.
Is it possible to cancel a registration?
Registrations can be cancelled on these grounds:
- Proprietary rights
- Descriptive marks
- Not distinctive marks
- Misleading, deceptive or disparaging marks
- Functional marks
- Breach of copyright
- Conflict with a well-known mark
- Use of protected armorial bearings, state emblems and flags
- Conflict with trade names that might confuse the public mind
- Conflict with a registered design
- Conflict with popular personal names
- Generic marks or commonly used
- Use of geographical indications
- Issues against morality or public order
- Use of name, picture, or reputation of a person of authority
- Use of name of style of a company
Are there any rights established by having a registered trademark?
Yes. Registration of a trademark helps the owner secure these rights:
- Exclusive rights to use the mark
- Right to challenge applications that are in conflict with the mark
- Right to demand for the cancellation of registrations that are in conflict with the mark
- Right to take a legal action against third parties that are infringing the mark
- Right to demand for damages from third parties that infringed the mark
- Right to license and authorize third parties to use the mark
- Right to appeal from customs authorities for the seizure of imported counterfeit goods that bear the mark
How long is the opposition period?
The opposition period will officially start on the date when the application was printed in the Trademark Gazette, and it will end 60 days later.
Is Morocco a member of the Madrid System?
Yes. Morocco is a party to international treaties: Madrid Protocol and Madrid Agreement.
Do I need to present periodic statement of use?
No. Period statement of use or any other similar filing that sets forth the use of the mark is not necessary.
When should I renew my trademark?
Registered trademarks in Morocco are renewed every 10 years to maintain their validity.
What will be the renewal date of my trademark?
The first renewal date is done on the 10th year after the filing of application date.
Is there any documentation that should be presented when renewing a trademark?
Renewing a trademark registration requires a power of attorney which must be printed on the applicants’ letterhead.
If my trademark expires, do I have a grace period?
Late renewal of trademark is possible since the trademark office can extend the renewal period for up to 6 months.
Basic Questions
What is a trademark?
A trademark identifies products and services in order to distinguish them in the market. The name, the verbal element, is not the only component that distinguishes a trademark; figurative elements such as logos, design, images, colors and sounds also create an identity that can be protected through trademark registration.
With the registration, the owner (person or company) becomes the owner of the trademark. The registration is given for a particular country/territory, for certain products or services and for a specific term. While the registration is in force, only the owner may use the trademark in the market where the trademark is registered.
Some symbols to consider:
® Means the trademark is registered.
TM Some countries use this symbol to show that the trademark has been filed at the trademarks office and is still undergoing the registration process.
SM Some countries use this symbol to show that the service mark has been filed at the trademarks office and is still undergoing the registration process.
What is the difference between a trademark, patent and copyright ?
There are many ways to lay claim to your work. Trademarks, patents, and copyrights offer protection for owners of intellectual property. A trademark helps people find your goods and services. When recognized as a registered mark, it protects your right to exclusively use the image, logo, phrases, or words to distinguish your goods or a service in the market.
A patent safeguards ideas and inventions. It gives a creator or inventor exclusive rights that prevent other people from making, using, or profiting in any way from an invention or creative innovation without the consent of the inventor.
You cannot patent an idea because we all have them. You must materialize your concept into a tangible invention, innovative product, device, or process that offers new solutions to a problem to secure a patent.
Copyright protect published, performed, or printed creative works. People who produce artistic or musical work seek to protect their “right” to stop others from “copying” what they do. Copyright protection protects any original creative works of authors including:
- a) artwork (2 or 3 dimensional),
- b) photographs, graphic drawings, and designs as well as other forms of creativity;
- c) songs, music, and sound recordings of all kinds;
- d) books, manuscripts, publications, and another written work; and
- e) plays, movies, shows, and other performance arts.
A trademark, patent, or copyright are all examples of ways you protect your intellectual property. Your right to control and benefit from your efforts are increasingly important in our global economy. Registering a formal claim to your property is a critical step in protecting what you own.
What is the difference between TM, SM, ® and other symbols?
You recognize a registered trademark by the symbol of a circle-R following the trademark name or graphic image. Various typographic symbols show copyrights and patents. The presence or absence of a symbol does not change the validity of the registration, but a best practice is to use a circle-R or circle-C for copyrights every time you mention your intellectual property in print. These symbols give legal grounds for claiming damages in trademark litigation. The following is a list of some typical marks you can use on a web page, in written content, or even in a marketing letter.
- TM: The TM sign shows the brand name for an unregistered trademark classified as a product (classes 1 to 34). The owner uses this sign to mark what they believe is their brand mark.
- SM: The SM sign is identical to the TM sign except it designates a service mark (classes 35 to 45).
- ®: ®: Use the ® symbol once you register a trademark or service mark. It shows that the country authority has approved the registration.
- ©: Use the © symbol to mark a copyright. The word copyright is substitute sign for Follow it with the year of the publication and owner's name. Use it whether the work has obtained copyright registration or not.
- Patent Pending: The phrase Patent Pending shows that you filed a patent application but cannot guarantee the application's approval.
What are trademark classes?
Trademark Offices around the world use classes to divide commercial products and services into defined categories. When you apply for your trademark to protect your brand, you must define the class or classes that you believe are best describe your business activity.
There are 45 classes – 34 for products and 11 for services – which countries from around the world have standardized for international use under the 'Nice International Classification'.
These classes group all known products and services. You can register the same trademark if there are similar classes, for example, you may register the trademark KING for computers in class 23, and you can also register the same trademark in class 24 for cosmetics.
Trademark protection only extends to commercial use within your specified classes. It is possible, then for two entities conducting business in different classes to use identical or similar trademarks and for each entity to enjoy full trademark protection in their respective classes. You can choose multiple classes under which to conduct business if you feel the protection must extend beyond only one class.
You can perform a search of your class with the following tool Trademark Class Search
Trademark Search
Why do I need to perform a trademark search?
Once you have a product or service and think you have a name for it, how do you know you can use it as your own? What happens if you unintentionally use a registered trademark name?
Too many people use a name without knowing if they have legal coverage, and they put up big marketing campaigns with names that later they find they cannot use. Performing a Comprehensive Search Study before you decide to register your brand mark is a wise decision especially when you consider future risks of litigation.
It is a good idea to conduct a Study before you start doing business with a trademark. It may not be in your best interest to use a mark if another company is already actively conducting business in the same class. That company may be able to object to your use of the trademark and prohibit you from using the mark in a court of law.
Do I need an Attorney to perform a Trademark Search?
No, you don’t, but if you have little or no experience dealing with trademarks, we suggest you find professional help. Our company offers the service Trademark Comprehensive Study. The Study will give you details about the classes where might want to register your trademark, it will also list identical and similar trademarks, and finally, it will provide you an Attorney's recommendation about registration possibilities and use of your trademark.
Where can I perform a trademark search?
If you have some knowledge about trademark registration, you can search using any online trademark search tool. If not, we recommend hiring a trademark attorney or trademark service like Nominus.com to handle your trademark registration requirements, especially a trademark search because the entire process is complex and takes time.
Notice that if you do not complete the application process carefully, the registration process could be extended for many months and cost far more than you intended to pay. The trademark search is a critical part of the process.
A broad trademark search is essential in today's marketplace given the increasing number of unregistered and common law marks. Globalization of markets also raises the question of entering international markets and registration of marks in foreign countries to protect your brand and your property rights.
You need to understand that even a completed comprehensive trademark search does not guarantee acceptance and registration of your mark. A Trademark Comprehensive Study includes a more extensive review process and, more significantly, a formal opinion estimating the probability of your application's acceptance.