LAWS OF MALAWI
Trade marks
Cap. 49:01
58.
In any legal proceeding in which the validity of the registration of a registered
trade mark comes into question and is decided in favour of the proprietor of
the trade mark, the High Court or Tribunal may certify to that effect, and if it
so certifies, then, in any subsequent legal proceeding in which the validity of
the registration comes into question, the proprietor of the trade mark, on
obtaining a final order or judgment in his favour, shall have his full costs,
charges and expenses as between solicitor and client or attorney and client,
unless in the subsequent proceeding the High Court or Tribunal certifies that he
ought not to have them.
59.
Any action or legal proceeding relating to the infringement or passing or
passing off of a trade mark shall be brought in the High Court.
60.
In any action or proceeding relating to a trade mark or trade mark or trade
name, the Tribunal or the Registrar, as the case may be, shall admit evidence of
the usages of the trade concerned and of any relevant trade mark or trade name
or get-up legitimately used by other persons.
61.
(1) In any legal proceeding in which the relief sought includes alteration or
rectification of the register, the Registrar shall have the right to appear and be
heard, and shall appear if so directed by the Tribunal.
(2)
Certification
validity.
of
Infringement
or
passing off action
to be heard in High
Court
Trade usage, etc.,
to be considered.
Registrar’s
appearance
proceedings
involving
rectification.
in
Unless otherwise directed by the Tribunal, the Registrar, in lieu of
appearing and being heard, may submit to the Tribunal a statement in
writing signed by him, giving particulars of the proceedings before
him in relation to the matter in issue or of the grounds of any decision
given by him affecting it or of the practice of the Trade Marks Office
in like cases or of such other matters relevant to the issues, and within
his knowledge as Registrar, as he thinks fit, and the statement shall be
deemed to form part of the evidence in the proceeding.
62.
The Tribunal, in dealing with any question of the rectification of the register
(including all applications under section 37) shall have power to review any
decision of the Registrar relating to the entry in question or the correction
sought to be made.
63.
In any appeal from a decision of the Registrar to the Tribunal, the Tribunal
shall have and exercise the same discretionary powers as under this Act are
conferred upon the Registrar.
64.
Where under any of the foregoing provisions of this Act an applicant has an
option to make an application either to the Tribunal or to the Registrar and
such application is made to the Registrar, the Registrar may, at any stage of the
proceedings, refer the application to the Tribunal or may, after hearing the
parties, determine the question between them, subject to appeal to the Tribunal.
Tribunal’s power
to
review
Registrar’s
decision.
Discretion
Tribunal
appeals.
of
in
Procedure
on
causes of option to
apply to Tribunal
or Registrar.