Register a trademark
To protect your brand (e.g. clothing or event brand), you should register a trademark in South Africa.
Steps to register a trademark:
- Call us to: (i) confirm that your brand is not "descriptive"; and (ii) identify the "classes" in which your trademark should be registered.
- We will search the trademark databases to look for conflicting trademark registrations. Cost: R2,500 plus vat.
- We will prepare and file trademark applications with CIPC (our trademark office) to protect your brand. Cost: R4,090 plus vat for the first trademark.
- In 12 months or so, we will arrange publication and grant of your registered trademark. Cost: Free.
Once registered, your South African trademark will prevent others from making, importing advertising, and selling competing products / services using a brand that is "confusingly similar" to your trademark within South Africa.
Although you may use your brand before filing the trademark application (and before your trademark application is registered), it is better first to file the trademark application.
Should you wish to extend your brand to other countries, we can assist you to file foreign trademarks. This is best done within 6 months of filing the South African trademark, but may also be done at a later stage.
Available trademark classes:
Products:
- Chemical
- Paint
- Cosmetic / cleaning
- Lubricants / fuel
- Pharmaceutical
- Metal
- Machinery
- Hand tool
- Computer, software, electrical, scientific
- Medical instrument
- Environmental control instrument (lighting, heating, cooling, cooking)
- Vehicle (land, air or water)
- Firearm
- Jewellery
- Musical instrument
- Paper, printed material
- Rubber
- Leather (excluding clothing)
- Non‐metallic building material
- Furniture
- Houseware and glass
- Rope, cordage and fiber
- Yarn and thread
- Fabric and textile
- Clothing and apparel
- Lace, ribbons, embroidery
- Floor covering
- Toy and sporting good
- Meat and processed food
- Staple food
- Natural agricultural
- Light beverage
- Wine and spirit (excluding beer)
- Tobacco and matches
Services:
- Advertising, business and retail
- Insurance and financial service
- Construction and repair
- Communication
- Transportation and storage
- Treatment and processing of material
- Education and entertainment
- Computer, software, scientific
- Restaurant and hotel
- Medical, beauty and agricultural
- Personal, legal and social
(Updated 2007)
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