Malaysia
Legal Basis | Trade Marks Act 2019 effective 27 December 2019 Trade Marks Regulations 2019 effective 27 December 2019 |
Major international treaties signed |
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Cost of obtaining a trademark | Please contact us at malaysia@mirandah.com |
Average time to obtain a trademark | 12 months |
Official language for trademark prosecution | Bahasa Malaysia or English |
Registrable marks | Any letter, word, name, signature, numeral, device, brand, heading, label, ticket, shape of goods or their packaging, colour, sound, scent, hologram, positioning, sequence of motion or any combination thereof |
Filing and prosecution procedures | Stage 1: Filing Stage 2: Examination Stage 3: Advertisement Stage 4: Opposition (if any) Stage 5: Registration Stage 6: Renewal |
Number of classes | 45 (11th Edition Nice Classification) |
Multiple class filing | Available |
Filing of series marks | Available |
Common objections | Descriptiveness (Absolute grounds for refusal of registration) Non-distinctiveness (Absolute grounds for refusal of registration) Prior conflicting rights (Relative grounds for refusal of registration) |
Extension of office action deadlines | Available |
Opposition term | 2 months (extendible) |
Term of trademark protection | 10 years (renewable) |
Grace period for restoration of lapsed trademark | Within 12 months from the expiry of the last registration |
Parallel Imports | Available |
Minimum period of use to avoid non-use cancellation action | 3 years (continuous) |
Useful links | Trademark Agents and Attorneys in Malaysia www.myipo.gov.my |
Infringement offence |
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Specialised courts for IP | Available | |
Outline of the enforcement steps | Notice of Cease and Desist
Infringement |
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Relief against groundless threats | Available (Declaration / an injunction / Damages) | |
Declaration of non-infringement | Available | |
Preliminary injunctions | Available | |
Time frame for various legal actions | 6 to 12 months | |
Alternative dispute resolution | Limited to trade mark matters involving domain name dispute | |
Other relief for infringement | Revocation Action | |
Civil remedies | Injunction Damages |
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Criminal Sanctions | Trade Description Order Monetary fines or imprisonment or bothBorder Measure Prohibition of importation; seizure; detention; forfeiture of goods bearing counterfeit trademark |
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Other | It is a criminal offence to represent a trademark as registered when in fact it is not. Sanctions may include monetary fines or imprisonment or both |
Year | Applications | Registrations |
Domestic | Foreign | Total | Domestic | Foreign | Total | |
2003 | 8327 | 9439 | 17766 | 3014 | 9108 | 12122 |
2004 | 10406 | 10337 | 20743 | 3243 | 8473 | 11716 |
2005 | 10479 | 11668 | 22147 | 3683 | 7771 | 11454 |
2006 | 11209 | 12840 | 24049 | 5651 | 10108 | 15759 |
2007 | 12289 | 13605 | 25894 | 8108 | 17382 | 25490 |
2008 | 12562 | 13472 | 26034 | 9049 | 18798 | 27847 |
2009 | 12810 | 11260 | 24070 | 5438 | 9534 | 14972 |
2010 | 13099 | 13271 | 26370 | 5642 | 8652 | 14294 |
2011 | 13001 | 15832 | 28833 | 10201 | 13618 | 23819 |
2012 | 14044 | 17832 | 31876 | 9765 | 16311 | 26076 |
2013 | 14705 | 17520 | 32225 | 9777 | 17202 | 26979 |
2014 | 15400 | 19171 | 34571 | 10467 | 16961 | 27428 |
2015 | 15940 | 19983 | 35923 | 10529 | 18271 | 28800 |
Sep 2016 | 13679 | 14769 | 28448 | 9227 | 14300 | 23527 |
Source: WIPO