Sao Tomé & Principe IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names

São Tomé and Príncipe is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Africa. It consists of two islands: Sáo Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres, respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizable southern island, is situated just north of the equator. It was named in honor of Saint Thomas by Portuguese explorers who happened to arrive at the island on his feast day.

São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country in terms of population (the Seychelles being the smallest). It is the smallest country in the world that is not a former British overseas territory, a former United States trusteeship, or one of the European microstates. It is also the smallest Portuguese-speaking country.

General Information

Capital:

São Tomé

Population:

157 Thousand

Languages:

Portuguese

Government Type:

Democratic semi-presidential Republic

Dialing Code:

+239

Timezone:

GMT 0

Monetary Unit:

Dobra (STD)

More information:

São Tomé & Principe

International Arrangements

WIPO
PCT
Paris Convention
PLT (Patent Law Treaty)

Patents

Types of Patents:
Patents of Invention / PCT

Filing Requirements:

- Power of Attorney (in Portuguese or with verified Portuguese translation)
- Full particulars of the inventors and of the applicants.
- Specification, claims and abstract in Portuguese
- Drawings
- Deed of Assignment of Invention
- Priority document with verified Portuguese translation

(No notarization or legalization is necessary)

Granting:
The term of a patent is twenty years from the filing date.

Examination:
Substantive examination can be confirmed by exam reports from the IP Office of origin, however the granting or refusal of each application is to be decided locally, by the Director of the IP Office in Sao Tome.

Renewals:
Renewal fees fall due annually from the first anniversary of the filing date

Trademarks

Filing Requirements:
- Power of Attorney (in Portuguese or with Portuguese translation)
- 2 prints of the trademark
- The full particulars of the applicant
- The list of the goods and/or services to be covered by the trademark and classes in Portuguese.
- Priority document with Portuguese translation

(No notarization or legalization is necessary)

Granting:
The protection is for ten years, and starts from the date of application

Renewals:
Every ten years

Designs and Models

Filing Requirements:

- Power of Attorney (in Portuguese or with verified Portuguese translation)
- Full particulars of the designer and of the applicants
- Drawings
- Deed of Assignment of Design
- Priority document with verified Portuguese translation

(No notarization or legalization is necessary)

Granting:
The term of an industrial design is fifteen years from the filing date.

Renewals:
Renewal fees fall every five years from the first anniversary of the filing date

Copyrights

São Tomé & Príncipe hasn't signed up to the Berne Convention yet. However, your creative works may be copyright protected locally and directly in their Intellectual Property Department.

If you seek copyright protection in São Tomé & Príncipe, please contact us.

Domain Names

Domain extension:

.st

More information

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Sao Tomé & Principe IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names