Trademark Registration in Morocco

In Morocco, trademark registration is mandatory in order to be granted exclusive rights over a mark, since it is a “first to file” jurisdiction. Only in some exceptional cases can an unregistered trademark be protected.

Trademark applications must be filed with the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property OMPIC. Morocco is also a member state of the Madrid Protocol, so it is possible to obtain protection by extending an international registration through the Madrid System. We offer trademark filing through the Madrid System for this purpose.

If you register a combined trademark (including both word and figurative elements) in Morocco, your exclusive right is limited to using the mark in the exact configuration in which it was filed and registered. If you want to use only the word element or only the figurative element separately, it is recommended to register an additional trademark that includes only the elements you wish to use and protect independently.

To register a trademark in Morocco, you will generally need:

• Original Power of Attorney, signed. No notarization or legalization required.
• The name or logo you want to register
• The applicant’s details

Your iGERENT consultant will confirm the exact requirements for your case and guide you through each step.

The average application process takes 10 months.

This is an estimated processing time for straightforward cases based on current timeframes for applications and may vary considerably.

Once registered, trademarks in Morocco are valid for 10 years from the application date. They can be renewed indefinitely for further periods of ten (10) years.

A trademark renewal can be requested as early as six (6) months before the expiration date. There is also a grace period of six (6) months after expiration during which renewal is still possible, subject to payment of a late renewal fee.

Yes. If a third party attempts to register a trademark for similar goods or services that includes a primary or distinctive part of your trademark, you have the right to oppose the application based on confusing similarity.

Opposition actions may be filed by interested third parties within sixty (60) days following the publication of the trademark application in the Trademarks Gazette. The probability of success will vary in each case depending on the specific circumstances.

It is not necessary for a trademark to be in use in Morocco in order for it to register.

However, if the trademark is not used for more than five (5) consecutive years after registration, it becomes vulnerable to cancellation actions based on lack of use. To prevent this, the use of the mark must be on a commercial scale.