Trademark registration in Turkmenistan

The trademark office and official links

Trademarks in Turkmenistan are registered by the State Service for Intellectual Property (Turkmenpatent), Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan.

• Trademark office: State Service for Intellectual Property (Turkmenpatent), Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan
• Trademark search: official trademark database
• Law: Law of Turkmenistan No. 141-VI of 8 June 2019 on Trademarks
• Law: Regulations on Fees for Trademarks (approved by Presidential Decree No. 1533 of 13 December 2019)

Official fees in Turkmenistan

Official office fees only (schedule as of 2019-12). Official fee schedule. Professional fees of a local firm are extra — compare fixed-fee packages.

How to register a trademark in Turkmenistan

1. Search for earlier marks, including national registrations and international registrations designating Turkmenistan.
2. Foreign applicants appoint a patent attorney registered with Turkmenpatent (a Turkmen citizen permanently resident in Turkmenistan).
3. File the application with Turkmenpatent in the state language, listing goods and services by Nice class, and pay the filing fee; the substantive examination fee is due within 3 months of filing.
4. Turkmenpatent carries out a formal examination within one month after the first two months from filing; accelerated formal examination (10 working days) is available for a fee.
5. Accepted applications are published in Turkmenpatent's Official Bulletin; any interested person may file a reasoned objection up to the date of registration.
6. Substantive examination starts no earlier than 6 months from the priority date; a provisional refusal can be answered within 3 months (extendable to 6 months).
7. After a decision to register, pay the registration fee within 3 months; the mark is entered in the State Register and a certificate is issued.

Examination, publication and opposition

• Examination: Turkmenpatent carries out a formal examination (within one month after the first two months from filing) and a substantive examination on absolute and relative grounds, which starts no earlier than 6 months from the priority date. Accelerated formal (10 working days) and substantive (20 working days) examination are available for a fee.
• Publication: Official Bulletin of Turkmenpatent
• Opposition period: Any interested person may file a reasoned objection after publication of the accepted application and before the registration date; no fixed number of days is set in the law

Protection, renewal and use

• Term: 10 years from the filing date, renewable.
• Late renewal: 6 months after expiry, with an additional fee
• Use requirement: a registration can be challenged after 3 years of non-use.
• Rights system: first to file.

Filing from abroad

• Local agent: Foreign individuals and legal entities must act through patent attorneys registered with Turkmenpatent; a patent attorney must be a citizen of Turkmenistan permanently resident in Turkmenistan.
• Language: The application must be filed in the state language (Turkmen); documents in other languages are accepted if a translation into the state language is filed within 3 months of filing

Firms on TrademarksHub that cover Turkmenistan can act as your local agent — see firms.

Madrid Protocol

Turkmenistan is a member of the Madrid System (in force since 1999). You can designate it in an international application filed through your home office, or file a national application directly. A local firm can advise which route is cheaper for your classes and timeline.

Trademark classes

Nice Classification; goods and services are grouped by Nice class in the application. One application can cover several classes. Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.

How Turkmenistan compares

• Opposition: Any interested person may file a reasoned objection after publication of the accepted application and before the registration date; no fixed number of days is set in the law — compare all countries
• Renewal: every 10 years; grace period 6 months after expiry, with an additional fee — compare all countries
• Foreign owners: required — rules in every country
• Official search: branddb.wipo.int — all search databases

Guides: registering in any country · costs by country · Madrid

Good to know in Turkmenistan

• The 2019 Law on Trademarks (No. 141-VI) replaced the 2008 Law on Trademarks, Service Marks and Appellations of Origin.
• Official fees are set in US dollars for foreign applicants and in manat for Turkmen citizens, entities and permanent residents.
• There is no fixed opposition window: objections against a published application can be filed at any time until the mark is registered.
• A registration can be cancelled, fully or partly, for non-use during the three years before the cancellation request; such a request can be filed only after three years from registration.
• Assignments and licences must be registered with Turkmenpatent to be valid.

Questions