Fiji IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names

Fiji, officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited and 522 islets. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population.

Economic liberalization in the years following the coup created a boom in the garment industry and a steady growth rate despite growing uncertainty of land tenure in the sugar industry. The expiration of leases for sugar cane farmers (along with reduced farm and factory efficiency) has led to a decline in sugar production despite a subsidized price. Fiji is highly dependent on tourism for revenue. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity.

General Information

Capital:

Suva

Population:

945 Thousand

Languages:

English

Languages:

Bau fijian

Languages:

Hindustani

Main exports:

Sugar

Government Type:

Unelected civilian government with a military leader

Dialing Code:

+679

Timezone:

GMT +12

Monetary Unit:

Fijian Dollar (FJD)

More information:

Fiji

International Arrangements

Membership international conventions:
Membership of WIPO treaties:
WIPO Convention, since August 1972
Paris Convention (Industrial Property), since October 1925
Berne Convention (Literary and Artistic Works), since April 1928
PCT (Patents), since March 1980
Madrid Protocol (International Registration of Marks), since July 2001
Nice Agreement (International Classification of Goods and Services), since April 1961
Rome Convention (Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations),since September 1992
Strasbourg Agreement (International Patent Classification), since November 1975
Geneva Convention (Unauthorized Duplication of Phonograms), since June 1974
Brussels Convention (Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite),since October 1990
Budapest Treaty (Deposit of Micro-organisms), since July 1987
TLT (Trademarks), since January 1998
WCT (WIPO Copyright Treaty), since July 2007
WPPT (WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty), since July 2007
WTO:
- Member and Signatory to TRIPS Agreement, since January 1995
- Membership of other bodies/treaties:
- APEC, UCC, UPOV.
- Member of APEC since November 1989.
- Member of UCC since February 1969.
- Member of UPOV since March 1989.

Patents

Your application must include a patent specification and forms providing details of your application. The patent specification must provide a written description which accurately and broadly describes the characteristics of your invention and claims which state the scope of the patent rights sought. Recommend you seek professional advice when preparing your application.

LOCAL PATENTS
REGISTATION OF UNITED KINGDOM PATENT

Filing:
Applicant:
- Inventor or holder of a United Kingdom patent

Novelty:
- Not in public use in Fiji

Requirements:
Local Patents
- Petition in duplicate, signed by applicant or his agent
- Authorization of agent
- Declaration as to utility, novelty and inventor ship, signed by applicant or his agent
- Specification in duplicate

Examination procedure and protection:
- Application is referred to the Administrator General, Who issues a provisional certificate, provided he deems the invention as prima facie entitled to protection, and within two months from the issue of the provisional certificate, the applicant should advertise his application twice in the official Gazette and a local newspaper. The opposition within three months of the first advertisement.

Duration:
- 14 years from date of issue of letters patent, but if any foreign patents exist, the Fiji patent expires with the foreign patent first expiring.

Assignment:
- May be recorded

Registration of U.K. patents
-Application
-Authorization of agent
-Certified copy of the specifications, including drawings, if any, of United Kingdom patent
-Certificate of the comptroller-General of the U.K Patent Office Giving full particulars of the issue of the patent.
-All the documents must be filed in duplicate

Examination procedure and protection:
- Application is advertised and open to opposition for three months

Duration:
- Remaining terms of U.K. patent

Assignment:
- May be recorded

Trademarks

Filing:

Applicant:
- The first user of a trademark is entitled to registration. Also the owner of a trademark registered in the U.K. may apply at any time during the existence thereof to have the trademark registered in Fiji.

Classification:
- 50 classes according to the old British classification

Service marks:
- Not registrable

Requirements: (to be sent to resident agent for filing of application)
- Authorization of agent
- Full details of the applicant (including proper name, address and calling) and list of goods. For each class of goods a single application should be lodged.
- An information sheet
- 20 prints of the mark, if the mark is not a word mark
- A certified copy of the U.K. (if the application is to be based on a U.K. registration)

Assignment:
- Only together with goodwill of the business

Requirements: for registration of assignments
- Original or notarized copy of the assignment deed
- Authorization of agent
- If the trademark is based on a U.K. trademark, a certified copy of the U.K. certificate evidencing the assignment
- Original or certified copy of the certificate of registration to be endorsed with the assignment. If certificates cannot be located, agent can apply for certified copy certificates

Examination procedure:
- After examination of an application, the Administrator-General will require the applicant to advertise the application in the official Gazette and in a newspaper, and opposition can be filed by any person within three months of the first advertisement.

Duration and renewal:
Local trademark:
- 14 years from date of application

Registered U.K trademarks:
- Remaining terms of U.K. trademarks

Renewable for like periods on application before expiration

Grace period:
- Six months with fine

Restoration:
- The Administrator General has power to restore a lapsed trademark registration

Assignment:
- May be recorded

Designs and Models

Designs registered in the U.K. are protected in Fiji under the U.K. Designs (protection) Acts. The proprietor´s exclusive privileges and rights under the U.K. registration extend to Fiji as though the certificate of registration in the U.K. had been issued with an extension to Fiji.
Designs cannot be registered as such but designs registered in the U.K. may be advertised to give the public notice of the existence of the design.

Copyrights

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

As a member of the Berne Convention, it is possible to copyright protect creative works in this country as well as all the other member nations automatically (more than 160 countries), with one single application.

For more information and to submit us your works for worldwide copyright protection, click here.

Domain Names

Domain extension:

.fj

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Fiji IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names