The registration of a trademark in Liechtenstein can be done at the State Trademark Office. The companies who function in this country and need to obtain protection for an international trademark can utilize as well the W.I.P.O system (WORLD Intellectual Property Organization). Through the application procedure, the proposed trademark is checked for authenticity and whether it fulfils the regulations imposed by the Liechtenstein government in matters of intellectual property. You can confidently rely on our law firm in Liechtenstein for a professional preparation of the documents in view of trademark registration in Liechtenstein.
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How to register a trademark in Liechtenstein
The institution which deals with trademark verification, registration and certification is the Liechtenstein Trademark and Design Office (AVW). The procedure of trademark registration consists of several steps.
After the opening of a company in Liechtenstein, the owner can employ a design company in order to elaborate together the specific brand image and trademark for the company. Consequently the owner might complete the application for trademark registration, by providing the name and the contact details of the company as well as a description of the main commercial activities of the company. One of the requirements is that the connection between the proposed trademark and the line of the company must be evident.
The verification procedure implies checking the authenticity of the visual as well as the conceptual elements of the trademark. This process can take almost one year, and when it receives approval, it is published by the Office of National Economy.
Our attorneys in Liechtenstein are ready to assist in preparing the registration of your company’s trademark in Liechtenstein.
We also invite you to watch a video on the registration of a trademark in Liechtenstein:
Trademark legislation in Liechtenstein
The main act that regulates the conditions for trademark registration in Liechtenstein is the Law regarding the Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications (Trademark Act). According to the law, the main purpose of a trademark is to offer to the public a sign which can help the buyers differentiate between goods and services provided by different enterprises. Investors must respect this requirement when they develop their trademark in Liechtenstein.
According to the same law, you are allowed to access the Trademark Register at any time in order to inspect trademarks of other companies. The information contained in the Register is open to the public and, if anyone intends to obtain more details, the person can request extracts of the accreditation documents. This grants the credibility of the brands which operate on the Liechtenstein market.
Main authorities protecting intellectual property in Liechtenstein
The main authority in Liechtenstein dealing with issues regarding intellectual property is the Bureau of Intellectual Property inside the Office of Economic Affairs (Amt für Volkswirtschaft).
In order to protect the rights of inventors, the Principality of Liechtenstein has formed a patent union with Switzerland. The main law which regulates patents in this union is the Federal Law of Switzerland on Patents for Inventions. Liechtenstein and Switzerland form a unified territory which is protected against abuse in intellectual property issues by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.
Our law firm in Liechtenstein can help you in a variety of situations you might encounter regarding the protection of intellectual property in Liechtenstein.
Intellectual property categories
The three main categories which fall under the Liechtenstein legislation regarding intellectual property are:
- Patents: for the protection of inventions that are new and have the characteristic of being commercially exploitable.
- Copyrights: protect authorship for different forms of artistic expression such as literature, music, painting, computer programs, and others.
- Trademarks: a symbol used by a company for the purpose of distinguishing its own goods and services.
- Designs: the shapes, lines, contours, colors and other characteristics of a product or one of its parts.
How is copyright protected in Liechtenstein?
Artistic works fall under the rights of their authors and are not recorded, as opposed to trademarks or designs. They belong to their respective owners for a period of seventy years after the death of the author. The copyright protection applies to works of art, literature, paintings, music and it also extends to computer programs. Companies in Liechtenstein will often hold the rights for the creations of their employees and the individuals will expressly grant these rights to the company via an agreement. One of our lawyers in Liechtenstein can give you more information about copyright and the associated proprietary rights.
Individuals who open a company in Liechtenstein can register a domain name with the country extension .li, as needed for their business. The Network Information Centre is the one that administers domain names that end in this extension.
What are the details for design and patent protection in Liechtenstein?
Designs and patents are also registered in Liechtenstein and are protected for a certain period. designs can be protected when they are unique and they are not offensive. They can refer to the entirety or a product or only parts thereof. The protection period for a design is twenty-five years, divided into periods of five years after which the protection can be renewed. The application forms are also in German and are submitted to the Office of Economic Affairs.
The protection of patents is possible when the inventions are new and can be exploited commercially. A patent registered in Liechtenstein is also protected on the territory of Switzerland, according to a patent protection treaty between the two jurisdictions. The actual exploitation of the invention is possible with the approval of the inventor (the patent holder) and it is possible for a period of up to twenty years.
Other information concerning IP laws in Liechtenstein
The main laws that govern IP protection include the Trademark Protection Act, the Trademark Protection Ordinance, the Design Act and Ordinance, the Copyright and Associated Proprietary Rights Act and others. The attorneys at our law firm in Liechtenstein who specialize in intellectual property laws can give you detailed information on any of these relevant acts or ordinances.
If anybody violates the rights granted by the intellectual property in Liechtenstein, he/she might be brought in one the country’s courts and made to bear the legal consequences for his/her actions.
Our team of lawyers in Liechtenstein can help clients interested in registering trademarks, patents, industrial designs or copyrights. We can assist individuals when making the necessary submissions with the Liechtenstein authorities and we can also represent them in court in cases involving infringement or when the application for a trademark is contested.
We kindly invite you to contact one of our Liechtenstein lawyers in order to explain you in detail the registration procedure for trademarks in Liechtenstein.