Malawi

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General Information

  • Area: Approximately 118 500 km2
  • Population: 15.4 million
  • Capital: Lilongwe
  • Currency: Malawian Kwacha
  • GDP:  $ 13.5 billion (2010)
  • Domain name extension: .mw
  • Languages: English, Chichewa (official languages)
  • Exports: Tobacco; tea; sugar; coffee; peanuts; wood products; cotton; clothing apparel
  • Imports:  Food; petroleum products; semi-manufactures; consumer goods; transportation equipment

International / Regional conventions:

  • Banjul Protocol (of ARIPO)
  • Berne Convention
  • Nice Agreement on Classification of Marks
  • Paris Convention
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty
  • WIPO Convention
  • WTO/TRIPS

Trade Mark Information

International and Regional Arrangements:

Madrid Agreement:      No

Paris Union:                Yes

Types of Trade Marks:

Goods marks

Certification marks

Defensive marks

No provision for Service marks

Classification:

The International Classification of Goods and Services (Nice Classification) is applied

Filing Requirements:

Particulars of Applicant (name, address and nationality)

Simply signed Power of Attorney

Representation of the mark

List of goods and / or services

Certified copy of the priority document with verified English translation

Duration:

The trade mark is registered 7 years from the filing date

Renewal:
Renewable every 14 years

Patent Information

International and Regional Arrangements:

Paris Convention:  Yes

PCT:  Yes (national phase deadline is 30 months from the priority date)

ARIPO:  Yes (see ARIPO requirements for designating Malawi in an ARIPO application)

OAPI:  No

Filing Requirements:

Published PCT application or English specification, claims, abstract and drawings (required on the day of filing)

Power of Attorney (required on the day of filing)

Assignment of Invention (no set deadline)

International Search Report and International Preliminary Report on Patentability (no set deadline)

Certified priority document with verified English translation (can be filed within 6 months)

Novelty
The invention must not have been described in a patent specification within the last 50 years and/or must be new in Malawi
Patentability
None
Excess Fees:
None
Examination:
Applications are subjected to formal examination only
Term of Patent:
16 years from the effective filing date, extendable for a further 5 years or in exceptional circumstances for up to 10 years
Renewals:
Due annually from the third anniversary of the effective filing date, but only payable after grant

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