From Afghanistan To Zimbabwe, And (Almost) Everywhere In Between

As a Trade Mark Attorney, I'm often asked to file trade mark applications or update the ownership of existing rights in foreign jurisdictions. This could be because the client is moving into a new market, perhaps they have acquired or merged with another company, or perhaps they are completely rebranding. This has been a part of my job for more than fifteen years, and on looking back over this time, I realised that I have dealt with many quirks of overseas trade mark systems, which often aren't commonly known.

There are currently 195 countries recognised by the UN, but there are additional territories when it comes to trade mark law, for example:

• The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not included in the "official" list as the UN considers it represented by the People's Republic of China, but Taiwan has its own trade mark system;