The principal legal act is the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan on Trademarks and Service Marks (adopted in 2007 and amended several times). The law defines a trademark as a designation capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one person from those of another. It may consist of verbal, figurative, three‑dimensional or other combinations of elements. The law states that trademarks are classified using the International (Nice) Classification of Goods and Services and that the Patent Office is authorised to perform examination, registration and publication.
Treaty membership
Tajikistan is party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Nice Agreement on the International Classification of Goods and Services. It also declared continued application of the Madrid Agreement (since 25 December 1991) and acceded to the Madrid Protocol on 31 March 2011, with the Protocol entering into force on 30 June 2011. Because of these memberships, Tajik trademark owners can use the international Madrid system and Tajikistan can be designated in international applications. Under the Madrid Protocol, Tajikistan has declared an 18‑month refusal period and charges individual fees.
Types of marks and absolute prohibitions
The Tajik trademark law permits registration of word marks, figurative marks, three‑dimensional marks, and combinations thereof. However, certain signs cannot be registered. A 2019 amendment introduced a list of signs that are prohibited if they are identical or confusingly similar to:
- religious symbols, flags or other state symbols,
- abbreviated or full names of international or intergovernmental organisations and their emblems,
- official control and guarantee marks, hallmarks or seals, unless the applicant provides consent from the authorised bodies,
- industrial designs registered in Tajikistan before the priority date of the mark.
If a trademark registration expires and is not renewed, re‑registration in another person’s name is prohibited for one year. These absolute prohibitions supplement the general grounds for refusal such as lack of distinctiveness, misleading character or conflict with earlier rights.