Protecting trade marks in East Timor

Article  \  12 Jun 2012

The law for the protection of trade marks in Timor-Leste (East Timor) is unsettled.  Until trade mark legislation is put in place, we recommend you consider publishing cautionary notices to place third parties on notice of your trade mark rights claimed in Timor-Leste.

Background to trade marks legislation in Timor-Leste

Until 2002, trade mark registrations achieved in Indonesia automatically extended to Timor-Leste.

From 2002 it was possible to request the Ministry of Justice to stamp an endorsement onto a certified Portuguese translation of a copy of an equivalent Indonesian trade mark registration.  But the Ministry is no longer endorsing these certificates.  In addition, the legal status of these endorsed certificates is not clear as they have not been tested.

Now there is no current legislation providing for the registration of trade marks in Timor-Leste.

As there is no current legislation for the protection of trademarks in Timor-Leste, there is some benefit to publishing a cautionary notice in Timor-Leste to place third parties on notice of your claimed rights.

Please contact us to help you publish the cautionary notices in Timor-Leste.