Proprietors of trade marks in Rwanda should take note of an
upcoming trade mark renewal deadline which may be relevant to their
marks in this country.
Law No. 31/2009 on the Protection of Intellectual Property,
which came into operation on 14 December 2009, currently deals with
the registration and enforcement of trade marks in Rwanda. Trade
marks that were filed in terms of the previous trade mark
legislation, i.e. trade marks with a filing date of 13
December 2009 or older, must be renewed on or before 14
December 2019 (i.e. 10 years after the implementation date of the
current law), in order to ensure that those marks remain valid and
enforceable. Relevant marks that are not renewed timeously, will be
deemed abandoned.
