Trademark registration required application materials
- Applicant's name and address;
- Trademark sample (both design trademarks and plain text trademarks require a logo image);
- Designated class(es) of goods or services for the trademark application;
- Original POA power of attorney signed and stamped.
Trademark registration application process
- Submit application
- Formal examination
- Publication: Published in the official gazette. The trademark is published for a two-month period, during which any interested party may file an opposition against the trademark registration.
- Substantive examination
- Issuance of certificate
Characteristics of Macau trademark registration
- Trademark applications in Macau must be submitted separately by class; multi-class applications are not allowed. This means that goods or services in each class require a separate application.
- Macau does not allow the registration of series trademarks like Hong Kong or the UK. This means multiple versions of a trademark, such as uppercase and lowercase text trademarks, must be submitted as separate applications.
- Macau adopts the 'first-to-file' principle, meaning trademark rights are established through registration, prioritizing the first person to file the application. Even if you have used a trademark in Macau for some time, you will not hold legal rights to it until it is registered there.
- Macau follows a 'publication before examination' process, similar to trademark registration procedures in most South American countries. After initial procedural review, the trademark first undergoes an opposition period before substantive examination begins.
- Unlike most countries or regions where trademark validity is 10 years, Macau trademark registrations are valid for only 7 years and must be renewed before the 7-year expiry.
- Starting September 27, 2022, Macau introduced electronic trademark registration certificates. When applying for trademark registration online, applicants can choose to receive either an electronic or a paper certificate. Electronic registration certificates hold the same legal effect as paper certificates.
Protection period and renewal
Macau trademarks are valid for 7 years from the date of registration and can be renewed for additional 7-year periods.