Turkmenistan

The Turkmen Patent and Trademark Office conducts correspondence only in Turkmen language. However, application for any IP objects, as well as further patents ad certificates, are drawn up in three languages: Turkmen, English and Russian. Any foreign applicant needs to appoint a local Patent Attorney for handling its IP matters before the Office. The appointment can be confirmed with a copy of signed Power of Attorney. If the copy is of a good quality, the original document will not be required, unless the matter concerns registration of license or assignment.

Average examination timeframe by the Turkmen Patent and Trademark Office is about 18 months for inventions when in concerns national applications, and about 6 months for conventional and PCT applications. For trademarks, the term is about 7 to 9 months, and 6 months for industrial designs. Oppositions can be filed against trademark applications or registrations.

While such IP objects as appellations of origin and geographical indications, as well as plant varieties and animal breeds, exist as legal objects under corresponding legislation, in practice applications are not accepted by the Office due to the lack of approved procedure and regulations.

It shall be noted that the Turkmen Patent and Trademark Office tends to only indicate the article of the Law in the provisional refusal without clarifications, which makes it important to obtained an experienced attorney’s recommendations.

When an IP-related matter proceeds to court, they are considered by a commercial court in general. An attorney well-versed in the local court practice will ensure protection of the client’s best interest in any matter.