Trademark Law and Practice in Maldives (2025)

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Trademark Law and Practice

There is no formal Trade Mark Law in Maldives. Consequently, trade mark applications are handled through the publication of a Cautionary Notice in local newspapers. It is important to note that, without the publication of a Trade Mark Cautionary Notice, you would not have the legal grounds to take action against any infringer in the Maldives under local laws or in any Court of Law.

By publishing a Cautionary Notice in accordance with the common law practices in the Maldives, you effectively notify the public of your ownership of the trade mark. In the event of an infringement, this serves as evidence that you have made your trade mark ownership known, and, if necessary, the Court may request proof of registration in other jurisdictions, strengthening your client’s position in the Maldives.

If the trade mark holder is actively marketing or advertising their product in the Maldives, we strongly recommend publishing the Cautionary Notice. This step would further solidify your client’s rights and provide public notice of their trade mark ownership.

It is worth mentioning that, over the past decade, a period of three years for the validity of a Cautionary Notice has been considered sufficient, as the general public typically retains awareness of the mark’s ownership during this time. However, in recent years, we have observed that trade mark owners have been renewing the publication of their Cautionary Notice annually, rather than allowing the notice to expire after the typical three-year period.

Please note that no specific documentation is required for the publication of the Cautionary Notice in the Maldives.

Necessary information required for publication of Cautionary Notice in Maldives

1. Name, address and Nationality of the Proprietor/Applicants; 
2. The name of Trademark and/or the design; 
3. The Class in which the mark is to be published;
4. The Goods under such class;
5. Neither Power of Attorney nor any other executed documents are required for publication of Trademark Cautionary Notice in Maldives.
   

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