Georgia is a “first-to-file” jurisdiction, which means that exclusive rights are generally granted to the party that first files a trademark application, not necessarily the one that first uses the mark. Only in exceptional situations can an unregistered but well-known mark receive protection.
To secure protection, trademark applications must be filed with the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Sakpatenti). You can file:
- A national application directly with Sakpatenti; or
- An international registration designating Georgia through the Madrid System, as Georgia is a member of the Madrid Protocol.
A registered trademark in Georgia also extends protection to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, although these territories are disputed and enforcing rights there may be difficult in practice.
If you register a combined mark (word + logo), protection is limited to the exact configuration as filed. If you plan to use the word element and figurative element separately, it is advisable to file separate applications for each element you want to protect on its own.