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Registering trademarks in the BES

The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (“BOIP”) is the official organization for the registration of trademarks and designs in the Benelux countries. The BOIP implements the new BES Trademark Act (“BTA”) on instructions of the Department of Caribbean Netherlands.

In this connection, Camille Janssen, legal counsel with the legal department of BOIP, and Christel Heremans, head information and promotion of BOIP, are currently in Bonaire to provide information on this subject.

CaribIE.nl is the website of the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property for trademark registration in the Caribbean Netherlands. That is where entrepreneurs can have trademarks registered for the islands of Bonaire, Statia, and Saba. Through this website, one can make confirmative applications for existing registrations in the Netherlands Antilles and file new trademarks. A trademark can be filed directly online. For this purpose you have to download an application.

The confirmative applications for existing registrations in the Netherlands Antilles can be done until October 10, 2011. Confirmative applications are free of charge. The renewal of a registration can be applied for simultaneously by stating it in the confirmative application and making the payment for renewal. A standard application for a new trademark costs 310 dollars. If the trademark is ultimately not registered, the filing costs will not be refunded. The registration will be valid for ten years. During this period of time, the trademark is protected. After ten years, the registration can be renewed.

Source: local newspaper “Antilliaans Dagblad” dated 29 October 2010

On 27 October 2010 VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne Bonaire hosted a presentation on this subject held by Christel Heremans and Camille Janssen of the Benelux Bureau for Intellectual Property, in conjunction with the local Bar Association. On 28 October 2010 the same presentation was organised by the Association of Trademark Attorneys in Curacao at the office of VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne Curacao.

For more information on trademark registrations please contact Carine Jansch or Miriam den Boogert.