South Sudan
Please note that it has not been possible to file trade mark applications in South Sudan for over a decade. It will only be possible to file trade mark applications as soon as the Intellectual Property Bill of 2015 has been enacted by Parliament. In 2023, The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs confirmed that the Intellectual Property Bill of 2015 still awaits enactment by Parliament.
Although it is not possible to file trade mark applications, it is now possible to reserve trade marks with The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The registration of the reserved trade marks will be completed as soon as the Intellectual Property Bill of 2015 has been enacted by Parliament.
It is also not possible to renew any historical trade mark registrations, at this stage. It will only be possible to renew trade marks when the Intellectual Property Bill of 2015 has been enacted by Parliament. All registered trade marks shall remain valid until such time.
South Sudan is not party to any copyright agreements.
As of November 2022, there appears to be a Copyright Bill which will provide the framework for copyright protection in South Sudan.
TRADE MARK OFFICE NOT YET DEALING WITH LITIGIOUS MATTERS
Although the Sudanese Trade Mark Office started operating at the beginning of 2024 (see our previous update here), the Office has not yet started dealing with any litigation matters including oppositi...
February 12 2025
THE PATENT OFFICE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS… SORT OF!
The Patent Office in Sudan has re-opened and is, once again, accepting new domestic patent applications. The Patent Office’s operations are, however, limited. Not only is the Patent Office not curre...
September 12 2024
Trade marks office resumes operations
As of 11 February 2024, the Sudanese Trade Marks Office (“TMO”) has resumed operations after nearly a year of closure due to civil unrest. The TMO is now accepting applications for trade mark regi...
April 12 2024
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We have offices in four major cities in South Africa: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. Additionally, we have 23 associate offices in the rest of Africa, the firm serves as a gateway into Africa for IP clients. Please contact your nearest office for any legal enquiry or assistance.