Angola is a member of the Paris Convention and of WTO/TRIPS.

Provision is made (chapter IV) for the registration of trade marks for goods and for services, and for collective marks. The Act refers to industrial, trade and service marks without, however, defining these classes of marks.

Express provision is made for the registration in a single registration of a series of marks from the same enterprise or establishment, whether the same or different from one another, and irrespective of the indication of products. No express provision is made for defensive marks.

The Act also provides for the registration of awards (chapter V), of establishment names and emblems (chapter VI), and of indications of origin (chapter VII).

The Act expressly refers to foreign marks, by stating that foreign marks will be registrable provided the mark relates to trade, industrial or professional activity legitimately carried out in the country of origin.

Types of trademarks:

1. Goods and service marks, collective marks and series marks.
2. Single class registration system
3. No provisions for defensive marks.

Documents required for trademark registration

1. Power of Attorney incorporating a Portuguese translation, notarized and legalized up to Angolan Embassy
2. Prints of the mark
3. Priority document (if applicable), with verified Portuguese translation and legalized up to Angolan Embassy
4. Specification of goods
5. Full details of the applicant
6. Certificate of incorporation or an extract from the Commercial register with a verified Portuguese translation duly legalized

Renewals

Duration of registration is for 10 Years from the date of Application. This may be renewed indefinitely for subsequent periods of ten years.

Documents Required for Assignment Applications

1. Deed of Assignment in Portuguese, signed by both parties, duly notarized and legalized up to the Angolan Embassy
2. Power of Attorney in Portuguese, signed by the assignee, notarized and legalized up to the Angolan Embassy
3. Certificate of Incorporation or extract from the Commercial Register with verified Portuguese translation

Change of Name/Address Applications

1. Power of Attorney
2. Extract from the Commercial Register with verified Portuguese translation

License Applications

1. Power of attorney by the licensee duly notarized and legalized up to the Angolan Embassy
2. A legalized and notarized license agreement executed by both parties

Angola is a member of the Paris Convention and of WTO/TRIPS.

Provision is made (chapter IV) for the registration of trade marks for goods and for services, and for collective marks. The Act refers to industrial, trade and service marks without, however, defining these classes of marks.

Express provision is made for the registration in a single registration of a series of marks from the same enterprise or establishment, whether the same or different from one another, and irrespective of the indication of products. No express provision is made for defensive marks.

The Act also provides for the registration of awards (chapter V), of establishment names and emblems (chapter VI), and of indications of origin (chapter VII).

The Act expressly refers to foreign marks, by stating that foreign marks will be registrable provided the mark relates to trade, industrial or professional activity legitimately carried out in the country of origin.

Filing Requirements

1. Power of attorney duly notarized and legalized
2. Specifications, claims and abstract in Portuguese
3. Formal drawings
4. International Patent Classification
5. Priority document with verified Portuguese Translation
6. Assignment of Invention
7. A copy of the international publication (for PCT applications)
8. A copy of the international search report
9. A copy of the international preliminary report on patentability

Note that National Phase PCT applications in Angola are filed and dealt with as a regular Angola patent application.

Angola is a member of the Paris Convention. Design protection or protection for a utility model may be obtained by way of a national filing. Since Angola is a member of the Paris Convention, priority may be claimed.

Although it is not entirely clear, from the wording of the law, whether all provisions stipulated in respect of industrial designs will also apply to utility models, it seems that a similar registration process and outcomes are contemplated.

The effect of a design registration (and probably also a utility model registration) is to confer on the owner of a design or a model, throughout Angola, the exclusive right to use the design or model by way of the manufacture, sale or exploitation of the article to which the design or model is to be applied.

Filing Requirements

1. Power of Attorney (can be late filed).
2. Drawings, photographs or a sample of the industrial design or utility model (required on the day of filing).
3. Indication of the kind or class of the product for which the industrial design or utility model will be used.
4. Certified copy of priority document, if priority claimed (can be late filed within three months from filing).
5. Portuguese translation of Priority Document (can be late filed within three months from filing).
6. Assignment (can be late filed).

Please note that an industrial design or utility model application may relate to a single industrial design or utility model only.

Duration and Renewal
Design registration is valid for an initial term of five years from the date of deposit of the application for registration, which term is extendible for two further terms of five years each. Provided that renewal fees are paid, each five-year extension is granted without a formal request for extension having to be lodged.

Renewal fees fall due annually from the first anniversary of the filing date. A grace period of twelve months is provided for late payment of the renewal fee.

Angola is not a member of the Berne Convention.

The law protects original literary, artistic and scientific works. The following are specifically mentioned:

• books, pamphlets, newspapers and other writings
• lectures, lessons and similar works, whether written or oral
• dramatic and dramatic-musical works
• musical works
• choreographic works
• cinematographic works
• television and audiovisual works
• radiophonic works
• works of drawing, painting, sculpture, engraving, tapestry and architecture
• photographic works
• works of applied art and handicraft
• illustrations, maps, plans, sketches and three-dimensional works relative to geography, topography, architecture
• works of folklore
• computer programs.

Derivative works are also protected:

• translations, adaptations, transpositions, arrangements
• compilations of works, anthologies, encyclopaedias.