82		

Government	Gazette	23	March	2012	

Act No. 1, 2012

No.	4907


INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ACT, 2012

whichever	is	the	earlier,	or	to	object	(on	such	use	being	proved)	to	the	trade	mark	of	that	
person	being	registered	in	respect	of	those	goods	or	services.
	
(2)	
Nothing	 in	 this	 Act	 entitles	 the	 proprietor	 of	 a	 trade	 mark	 entitled	 to	
protection	of	such	trade	mark	under	the	Paris	Convention	as	a	well-known	trade	mark		

(a)	

to	interfere	with	or	restrain	the	use	by	any	person	of	a	trade	mark	(herein	
the	“used	trade	mark”)	which	constitutes,	or	the	essential	parts	of	which	
constitute,	 a	 reproduction,	 imitation	 or	 translation	 of	 the	 well-known	
trade	 mark	 in	 relation	 to	 goods	 or	 services	 in	 respect	 of	 which	 that	
person	or	a	predecessor	in	title	has	made	continuous	and	bona fide	use	
of	 the	 used	 trade	 mark	 from	 a	 date	 prior	 to	 the	 commencement	 of	 this	
Act	or	to	the	date	on	which	the	well-known	trade	mark	became	entitled,	
in	Namibia,	to	protection	under	the	Paris	Convention,	whichever	date	is	
the	latter	date;	or	

	

(b)	

to	 object	 (on	 such	 use	 being	 proved)	 to	 the	 used	 trade	 mark	 of	 that	
person	being	registered	in	relation	to	those	goods	or	services.

Bona fide use of name or description
155.
(1)
The	right	to	institute	proceedings	conferred	by	the	registration	
of	a	trade	mark	do	not	extend	to		

(a)	

any	 bona fide	 use	 by	 a	 person	 of	 his	 or	 her	 own	 name,	 or	 the	 name	 of	
any	of	his	or	her	predecessors	in	business,	or	the	name	of	his	or	her	or	
their	place	of	business;

	

(b)	

the	 use	 by	 a	 person	 of	 any	 bona fide	 description	 or	 indication	 of	 the	
kind,	quality,	quantity,	intended	purpose,	value,	geographical	origin	or	
other	characteristics	of	his	or	her	goods	or	services,	or	the	mode	or	time	
of	production	of	the	goods	or	the	rendering	of	the	services;

	

(c)	

the	 bona fide	 use	 of	 the	 trade	 mark	 in	 relation	 to	 goods	 or	 services	
where	 such	 use	 is	 reasonable	 to	 indicate	 the	 intended	 purpose	 of	 such	
goods,	including	spare	parts	and	accessories,	and	such	services;

	

(d)	

the	bona fide	use	by	any	person	of	any	utilitarian	features	embodied	in	
a	container,	shape	or	colour	which	is	registered	as	a	trade	mark;

	

(e)	

the	 use	 of	 any	 identical	 or	 confusingly	 or	 deceptively	 similar	 trade	
mark	which	is	also	registered.

	
(2)	
Subsection	 (1)(a)	 does	 not	 apply	 to	 the	 name	 of	 any	 juristic	 person	
which	 name	 was	 registered	 after	 the	 date	 of	 registration	of	 the	 trade	 mark,	 and	 the	 use	
contemplated	in	subsection	(1)(a)	to	(d)	is	consistent	with	fair	practice.
ARIPO trade marks
156.
(1)	
Where	 an	 application	 for	 the	 registration	 of	 a	 trade	 mark	 in	
ARIPO	 is	 filed	 with	 the	 Office	 as	 the	 receiving	 office	 in	 terms	 of	 the	 Banjul	 Protocol,	

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