Georgia Enhances Trademark Legal Protection to Align with European Integration Efforts

Starting from March 8, 2024, amendments to the Law of Georgia "On Trademarks" have been enforced, aligning with the country's European integration efforts and aiming to enhance the mechanisms for trademark legal protection. These revisions have impacted various aspects concerning trademarks. Initially, absolute and relative grounds for refusal to register a trademark have been established. Absolute grounds for refusal now include trademarks referring solely to the shape or a feature due to the properties of the goods, essential for technical results, and/or adding substantial value to the goods. Additionally, registering a trademark as a single non-stylized letter, number, or color individually is no longer a basis for refusal. The new edition defines grounds for refusal involving symbols representing generic concepts. Furthermore, the law allows submission of consent from the owner of the opposed registered trademark or design, enabling registration of a similar trademark or design. Such consent may be provided during substantive examination or when appealing the final Office decision. Changes also impact trademark examination deadlines. The formal examination period has been reduced from 2 to 1 month, with the formal examination fee required within 15 calendar days. Additionally, applicants can request expedited trademark examination within 3 months of receiving the application acceptance notification. Moreover, applicants/trademark owners can request division of trademarks, allowing different priorities for listing various goods and/or services.