Quick info on registering trade marks in Fiji:

• Fiji’s Trade Marks Act is outdated (close to a century old)
• Service marks are not registerable in Fiji.
• Fiji still uses the old British classification system rather than the Nice Classification system.
• You can file either an independent trade mark application or an application based on prior United Kingdom registration
• UK-based applications tend to be processed more quickly and do not need to be advertised for opposition purposes
• Independent trade mark registrations need to be renewed every 14 years and UK-based registrations need to be renewed when the UK registration is renewed.
• The records of the Fiji Trade Mark Office are not computerized. Searches can be carried out manually on a class by class basis
• The Fiji Trade Marks Office is under-resourced and it can take anywhere from 6 months (for a UK-based application) to 3 years (or more) to obtain a trade mark registration.

Quick info on patents in Fiji:

• Fiji’s Patents Act is outdated (close to a century old)
• You can file either an independent patent application or an application based on prior United Kingdom registration (within 3 years of the grant of the UK patent)
• UK-based patents are valid for the term of the UK patent
• Independent patent applications are advertised for opposition purposes, examined in Australia and may take a long time to register
• UK-based patents applications are registered much more quickly, are advertised and are registered “as of right.”

The Fiji Copyright Act 1999 is based on recent United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australian legislation and brings Fiji's copyright laws in line with modern copyright laws and developments. There is no process for registration of copyright interests under the Act. Copyright simply subsists in the "work" in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Fiji has no system for the registration of designs. Fiji has legislation dating back to the early 20th century which gives like rights and privileges in Fiji to those rights and privileges enjoyed by any design registered in the United Kingdom. "Independent" applications for designs cannot be registered in Fiji. A design can only be protected in Fiji if it has first been registered in the United Kingdom.

Although there is no formal process for registration of United Kingdom registered designs in Fiji, United Kingdom design registration can be advertised in Fiji in order to give the public notice of the design.

• Fiji's domain name registry is based at the University of the South Pacific.
• Domain names can be registered within 3 working days and annual maintenance fees may be paid in advance for up to 10 years.
• The Fiji Domain Name Registry has adopted ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.
• While we can register domain names on your behalf, it may be more cost effective to go to www.usp.ac.fj/domreg.