This describes the system in force until 10 November 2026. The Trademarks Act (Law No. 19/2025) comes into force on 11 November 2026, replacing cautionary notices with a statutory register at the Maldives Intellectual Property Office. From that date the country is first to file, and a cautionary notice will be evidence rather than a right. See the Maldives gets a real trademark law.
Until 11 November 2026 the Maldives has no trademark registry — so you cannot “register” a mark there in the usual sense. Instead, you protect it by publishing a cautionary notice in the newspaper. Here is how that system works in practice.
The essentials
Is there a trademark law in the Maldives? Yes. The Trademarks Act (Law No. 19/2025) was ratified on 11 November 2025 and comes into force on 11 November 2026. Until it commences there is no registry and no statutory registration, so the answers below describe the interim position.
So how are marks protected? By publishing a Cautionary Notice in a newspaper, in English and/or the local language (Dhivehi), announcing the owner’s rights to the public.
Is there any examination? No. There is no filing, examination or advertisement in the registry sense — protection rests solely on the published cautionary notice.
What a cautionary notice needs
No documents are required to publish. The information needed is:
- The proprietor’s name, address, status and nationality;
- A JPEG image of the mark (for a device/logo mark); and
- The classes and specification of goods/services.
It is advisable to publish the full specification, not just the class numbers.
Language, colour and combining marks
- Language: English or Dhivehi — both is highly recommended.
- Colour: any colour, but best published in the colour actually used.
- Multi-class: yes, a single notice can cover multiple classes.
- Multiple owners: no — different proprietors’ marks cannot share one notice.
Renewal and recordals
- Renewal is by re-publishing the cautionary notice from time to time — owners typically re-publish every 3 or 5 years, at their discretion.
- Changes of name, ownership or address are recorded the same way — by re-publishing the notice.
Cost and timing
- No official fee — costs are for printing blocks, translation, postage and the newspaper publication itself, varying with the number of classes and the mark.
- Timing: publication depends on newspaper slot availability, typically 3–15 business days.
And other IP?
Copyright has had its own statute since the Copyright and Related Rights Act was passed in 2010 and came into force in 2011. Industrial designs, geographical indications and patents remain unlegislated, so for those a cautionary notice is still the only step available.
Frequently asked questions
Can you register a trademark in the Maldives? From 11 November 2026, yes — the Trademarks Act (Law No. 19/2025) creates a register at the Maldives Intellectual Property Office. Before that date there is no registry, and protection is secured by publishing a cautionary notice.
How do you renew trademark protection in the Maldives? By re-publishing the cautionary notice periodically — commonly every 3 or 5 years.
What information is needed to publish? The proprietor’s details, a JPEG of any logo, and the classes and specification of goods/services; no documents are required.
Is there an official fee? No official fee — only the practical costs of translation, printing blocks, postage and newspaper publication.