Trademark Registration in The Gambia

Why and How to Register a Trademark in the Gambia

Trademark applications in Gambia must be filed with the Industrial Property Office of the Attorney General’s Chambers Ministry for Justice of Gambia (MOI).

Trademark registration for the Gambia may also be done regionally, as this country is a member of the African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO) and a party to the Banjul Protocol. Registration through ARIPO grants protection and recognition in the following 12 countries: Botswana, the Gambia, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Eswatini, Uganda, Tanzania (mainland) and Zimbabwe.. For more information please visit our page on trademark services in ARIPO.

Gambia is also a member state to the Madrid Protocol. Thus, the extension of an international registration of a trademark via the Madrid System is possible for this country. For further information regarding our services for trademark filing through the Madrid System click here.

If you register a combined trademark (which includes both word elements and figurative elements) in Gambia, the exclusive right to use the trademark is limited to a use of the trademark in the exact configuration or way in which it was filed and registered. If you wish to use the word element of your trademark separately from the logo (or vice versa), it is recommended you register for another trademark including only the word or figurative elements you wish to use and protect separately.

Nevertheless, if a third party eventually intends to register or use a trademark for similar goods or services that includes a primary or distinct part or portion of your trademark, you will have the right to oppose the application based on confusing similarity.

Opposition actions may be filed by interested third parties against a trademark application within a period of three (3) months following its publication in the trademarks journal. Under certain circumstances, extensions to this deadline may be granted. The probabilities of success for an opposition will vary in each case depending on the circumstances.

Registered trademarks in Gambia have a validity of fourteen (14) years from the application date and can be renewed indefinitely for further periods of fourteen (14) years. The trademark renewal can be requested as early as four (4) months before the expiration date. It can also be requested during the grace period after expiration, upon payment of a late renewal fee.

If you would like for the figurative or design elements of your trademark to be considered when assessing your trademark for registration in Gambia (Trademark Search Report), contact us directly in order to determine if we may be able to offer this in this jurisdiction. In such cases, prices for service and estimated delivery times may vary.