Spoor & Fisher Mauritius

We are delighted to announce the launch of Spoor & Fisher Mauritius. Trade mark and patent applications, etc., will be filed and prosecuted in Mauritius by the new organization under the management of Spoor & Fisher Jersey. We are confident that the arrangement will improve still further, the efficiency with which such matters have been handled and the excellent relationship that has been established with the Mauritius authorities.

All instructions and queries should be addressed to Spoor & Fisher Jersey. They will bring to the management of the firm, the decades of experience they have accumulated of clients´ requirements as well as Mauritius law and practice and effective Intellectual Property management in general.

Service Marks

Service Marks are now available in Mauritius. We know this development is long awaited by many owners of such rights in the region, especially in view of the rapid development of Mauritius as a centre of service industries as well as manufacturing. We are now able to welcome your instructions to file, under the new law mentioned below, via Spoor & Fisher Mauritius.

Service mark protection has arrived because proclamations have just been published to bring into force The Patents, Industrial Designs and Trade Marks Act 2002 and The Protection Against Unfair Practices (Industrial Property Rights) Act 2002, with effect from 6th January 2003.

Our Circular No. 356 dated September 2002 announced the enactment of those laws. They were to come into effect on dates to be proclaimed. The principal provisions of the new Acts are summarised in that Circular, and published on our website www.spoor.com. We did not then predict early effective dates because the necessary Regulations, forms and fees were (and still are) under preparation.

The proclamations have been made despite the absence of subsidiary legislation. The abrupt announcements may be prompted by the desire to appear TRIPS-compliant at the current annual US-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Co-operation Forum. They leave a large number of areas of doubt until the Regulations, forms and fees are established.

New Instructions, Requirements and Costs

In the absence of new Regulations, there is no immediate change in documentary requirements. The only change in costs to be immediately budgeted arises from the introduction of the International Classification of Goods and Services, 8th Edition. A single trade mark application may claim goods and/or services in any number of classes. In addition to the standard inclusive charge for a trade mark application, a small additional professional charge must be added for second and subsequent classes. Estimates in Sterling, US Dollars and Euro are available on request.

It is to be hoped that the authorities will not try to establish any back-dated fee increases, but the possibility remains that there may be extra charges to be recovered later and clients will be kept informed.

As mentioned above, all instructions and inquiries should be addressed to Spoor & Fisher Jersey. Clients should approach their usual contacts there, or e-mail info@spoor.co.uk.

Click here for Mauritius Filing Requirements.

Spoor & Fisher