IP Africa Update – August
RWANDA
Rwanda Enacts New Intellectual Property Law: Law No. 055/2024
On July 31, 2024, Rwanda enacted Law No. 055/2024, a significant update to its intellectual property framework, replacing the previous Law No. 31/2009. This new legislation, effective immediately upon publication, introduces several important changes aimed at strengthening intellectual property protection in the country.
For trademarks, the law extends the time allowed for applicants to correct incomplete applications from 7 to 14 days. If the required corrections are not made within this period, the application will be considered withdrawn. The new law also tightens registration requirements by prohibiting trademarks that are filed in bad faith, are imitative, or are merely descriptive. Additionally, it mandates that applicants must be notified of any provisional refusals of international trademark registrations within 12 months, providing a three-month window to reapply nationally if an international registration is cancelled. Importantly, trademark rights are now acquired upon publication unless an opposition is filed.