LAWS OF GHANA SIMPLIFIED

  Ghana’s trademark regime is regulated by the Trade Mark Act of Ghana, 2004 (Act 664). Section 1 of this act defines trademark as “any sign or combination of sings capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from the goods or services of other undertakings including words such as personal names, letters, numerals and figurative elements”.   A person who wants to exercise rights over a trademark in Ghana will have to register the said mark in Ghana under the law in order to be afforded the protections provided by the law. Several manufactures, traders, business and commercial entities find it cumbersome to overcome the challenges associated with the registration of trademark in Ghana. This writeup seeks to make clear the rules pertaining to the registration of trademarks in Ghana and specifically, the grounds that can lead to the rejection (refusal) of a trade mark registration application in Ghana.   Section 5 of the Trademarks Act has en...