Ghana Information on the filing of Patents, Designs and trademarks in Ghana

Patents

Trademarks

PATENT REGISTRATIONS

Ghana is a member of the International Convention, ARIPO, and the PCT.

The requirements for filing a non-PCT application in Ghana are as follows:

(a) Power of Attorney (simply signed) - can be late filed, no set deadline;
(b) Specification, claims, drawings, and abstract in English - required on the day of filing;
(c) Assignment of Invention - can be late filed, no set deadline; and
(d) Priority document with verified English translation - can be late filed, within 3 months.

The requirements for filing a PCT application in Ghana are as follows:

(i) Power of Attorney (simply signed) - can be late filed, no set deadline;
(ii) Specification, claims, drawings, and abstract in English - required on the day of filing;
(iii) Assignment of Invention - can be late filed, no set deadline;
(iv) Copy of front page of PCT International advertisement - required on day of filing;
(v) Copy of International Search Report - can be late filed, no set deadline; and
(vi) Copy of International Preliminary Examination Report including any annexes - can be late filed, no set deadline.

We estimate that the cost of filing a patent application in Ghana will be between about US$ 2000.00 and US$ 2200.00 (excluding translation fees, if necessary). To this must be added the fees for claiming each priority date at about US$ 70.00 per priority claim, and the first renewal fee (due retrospectively on the 1st anniversary of the international filing date, where applicable) at about US$ 750.00.

TRADEMARK REGISTRATIONS

1. Filing requirements

1.1 Full name, street address and description of the applicant (including trading style, if any, and state/country of incorporation, if incorporated).
1.2 List of goods and/or services.
1.3 A simply signed power of attorney.
1.4 10 prints of the device mark.

2. Classification

2.1 The 45 classes of the International Classification of goods and services are followed.

3. General

3.1 Duration : 7 years from filing date and renewal for further periods of 14 years.
3.2 Use : An aggrieved person may apply for the removal of the mark if there is no bona fide use for a continuous period of 5 years from the date of application or any continuous 5 year period thereafter.
3.3 Licenses : Must be recorded at the Trademarks Office.
3.4 Assignments of applications are permitted

4. Costs

4.1a Application: First trade mark/class $1420.00, additional marks/classes filed simultaneously $1320.00 each.
4.1b Registration fees upon maturity: $295.00 each
4.2 Assignment: First trade mark/class $1060.00, additional trade marks/classes filed simultaneously $590.00 each.
4.3 Preparation of documents $130.00.
4.4 Recordal of change of name: First trade mark/class $590.00, additional trade marks/classes filed simultaneously $410.00 each.
4.5 Recordal of change of address: First trade mark/class $560.00, additional trade marks/classes filed simultaneously $410.00 each
4.6 Licenses: First trade mark/class $1010.00, additional trade marks/classes filed simultaneously $500.00 each.
4.7 Renewal: First class $1400.00, additional classes renewed simultaneously $1250.00 each.
4.8 Searches: From $370.00 per class -approximately 3 weeks (due to the situation at the Ghana Trade Marks office, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the search results)

* In the event that there is no official action/prosecution required this figure represents the expected costs through to registration.