JEE Africa

Liberia is a member of the Paris Convention and also the Madrid Agreement.

Although the Industrial Property Act of Liberia was published in 2003 it has not yet been passed by Parliament. However, in practice, with effect from 1 January 2009, its provisions have been complied with by the Trade Marks Office under an executive decision.

Liberia is a member of the Paris Convention, the Madrid Agreement and Protocol, and the ARIPO (Banjul Protocol).

Provision is made for the registration of trade marks for goods and services, for collective marks, and for the protection of trade names.

Types of Trademark registrable

Types of trademark registrable

• Trade marks for goods

• Trade marks for services

• Collective trademarks.

Documents required for trademark registration

The following are the documents required for trademark registration:

Power of Attorney incorporating a Declaration, notarized and legalized up to the Liberian Consulate or by means of a Apostille (Hague Convention)

Oath, notarized and legalized up to the Liberian Consulate by means of a Apostille (Hague Convention)

10 clear prints of the mark

Specification of goods

Full details of the applicant including trading style

Priority document (where required)

A notarized oath and notarized declaration including the list the goods or services legalized up to Liberian consulate

Duration and renewal

A trade mark registration is effective for a period of 10 years from the date of filing of the application for registration and, thereafter, renewable for like periods, on the payment of the prescribed fee. A grace period of six months is allowed for late payment of renewal fees, subject to payment of penalty fees.

Documents required for renewals 

1. Power of Attorney.

1.   Copy of the Certificate of Registration and (if applicable) the last Certificate of Renewal.

Documents required for assignments/mergers 

1. Power of Attorney.

1.   Deed of Assignment or other instrument of title, with verified English translation.

Documents required for change of name 

1. Power of Attorney.

1.   Certificate of Change of Name, with verified English translation.

Documents required for change of address 

Power of Attorney.

Documents required for licenses

1. Powers of Attorney from proprietor and licensee.

2.  License Agreement, with verified English translation.

*Liberia is now a member of the Hague Convention for the legislation of documents.
Consequently, Powers of Attorney etc, should either be legalised up to a Liberian Consul or with
an Apostille in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention.

Although the Industrial Property Act of Liberia was published in 2003 it has not yet been passed by Parliament. However, in practice, with effect from 1 January 2009, its provisions have been complied with by the patent office under an executive decision.

Liberia is a member of the Paris Convention, ARIPO (Harare Protocol) and PCT.

Patent protection is available via a national filing or an ARIPO application designating Liberia. The 2003 Act (which, as indicated above, is being applied), incorporates the Harare Protocol (which regulates patent and design filings in ARIPO) into Liberia’s national law. However, the validity of an ARIPO application designating Liberia is uncertain as it is not clear whether the 2003 Act is legally in effect. The 2003 Act also provides for PCT filings. Accordingly, patent protection may be obtained via the PCT, but again there is some uncertainty in regard to validity.

Filing Requirements:
National Phase PCT Application:

1. Power of Attorney (simply signed) (can be late filed)

2. Specification, claims and abstract in English (required on the day of filing)

3. Formal drawings, if applicable (required on the day of filing)

4. Assignment of Invention (can be late filed)

5. Copy of International Publication (required on the day of filing)

6. Copy of International Search Report (can be late filed, no set deadline)

7. Copy of International Preliminary Report on Patentability (can be late filed, no set deadline)

Patents of Invention (Non-PCT):

1. Power of Attorney (simply signed) (can be late filed)

2. Specification, claims and abstract in English (required on the day of filing)

3. Formal drawings, if applicable (required on the day of filing)

4. Assignment of Invention (can be late filed)

5. Priority document with verified English translation (can be late filed)

Duration and Renewal
The term of a patent is twenty years from the filing date. Renewal fees fall due annually commencing on the first anniversary of the filing date.

Although the Industrial Property Act of Liberia was published in 2003 it has not yet been passed by Parliament. However, in practice, with effect from 1 January 2009, its provisions have been complied with by the Designs Office under an executive decision.

Liberia is a member of the Paris Convention and ARIPO (Harare Protocol).

Design protection is available by a national filing or via an ARIPO application designating Liberia. Liberia has implemented the Harare Protocol (which regulates patent and design filings in ARIPO) in its national laws, thereby giving design protection to applicants seeking to obtain a design registration via ARIPO.

Filing Requirements

1. Power of Attorney

2. Drawings, photographs or other adequate graphic representations of the industrial design

3. An indication of the kind of products for which the industrial design is to be used.

4. Classification in terms of the Locarno Agreement.

5. Certified copy of priority document, if priority claimed, with verified English translation

6. Assignment documents

Duration and Renewal

Design registration is valid for an initial term of five years from the filing date, which is renewable upon payment of the required fees for two further terms of five years each. A grace period of six months is provided for late payment of renewal fees.

Liberia is a member of the Berne Convention, the Rome Convention, the Phonograms Convention, and the Universal Copyright Convention.

The law provides for copyright in respect of original works of authorship in the form of literary, dramatic-musical and artistic works, including:

• books, pamphlets, computer programs and other writings

• lectures, addresses, sermons

• dramatic and dramatic-musical works

• musical works

• choreographic works, pantomimes

• audiovisual works

• works of art, painting, drawing, architecture, sculpture, etc

• photographic works

• works of applied art or handicraft

• illustrations, maps, plans, sketches, three-dimensional works relative to geography, topography, architecture, science

• works of folklore

• translations, adaptations, arrangements of works

• compilations of literary or artistic works

• derivative works.

Excluded from protection are:

• ideas, procedures, processes, concepts, principles

• laws and decisions by courts or administrative bodies, reports by commissions

• mere data regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated.