Intellectual Property

We offer general services in this area with emphasis on trademark and patent registrations, renewals, assignment of trademarks and the protection of these interests, as well as copyright.

Trademarks

The Trademarks Act, Chapter 257, Laws of Belize defines a trade mark as a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of an undertaking. 

Why register your mark?

The registration of a trademark grants the owner the exclusive right to use such a mark to identify his goods and/or services for a period of 10 years (subject to renewal). Trademark protection is also enforced by the Supreme Court of Belize and is directed at eliminating unfair competitors, such as counterfeiters, who use similar marks to market inferior quality products. The laws of Belize are designed to ensure that counterfeit and infringing goods are confiscated and forfeited upon importation at our borders.

The Application Process

An application for registration of a trademark must be made to the Registrar of Intellectual Property with the filing of the following forms:

1. General Application Form which shall contain a request for registration of a trademark, the name and address of the applicant, a statement of the goods or services featured in the application and a representation of the trademark.
2. Application for an Address for Service. This form is only required for an applicant whose residence or principal place of business is outside Belize or for a local applicant who is applying through an attorney. 
3. Form of Authorization of Agent 

If the application is refused or opposed we can also make the relevant queries and provide advice where necessary.

Copyright

Why copyright your work?

Copyright in Belize is governed by the Belize Copyright Act, Chapter 252 of the Laws of Belize.  Filing a copyright protects your legal rights to your intellectual property. Although a copyright is established as soon as your work has been created, this does not guarantee full protection of your work. Only by filing your copyright can you secure the right to pursue damages for any copyright violation of your work. Once you have filed for copyright protection you are able to pursue statutory damages and legal fees against anyone using your work without authorization.

Patent

Why patent your invention?

In Belize, the Patents Act, Chapter 253, of the Laws of Belize governs the establishment and registration of Patents. A patent is the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a specified period of time. It is the legal title granted to protect an invention. An invention is a product or process that provides a new way of doing a particular thing, or provides a new technical solution to a problem.

The primary benefit of a patent is that it protects a patent owner from the commercial exploitation of his or her invention without the patent owner’s consent. The patent owner may grant permission to someone or authorize him or her to exploit his or her invention by granting a patent license. The patent owner may also enforce his or her patent rights in the local courts of Belize.