French Guiana Trademark Information

French Guiana is an overseas region of France located in South American and bordered by Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west. The population is estimated at 229,000 with a GDP of $4.07 billion.

French Guiana was originally inhabited by a number of indigenous American people. It was settled by the French during the 17th century. After the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Louis XV sent 12,000 settlers to French Guiana to colonise the region. One and a half years later only a few hundred survived. Its infamous Île du Diable (Devil's Island) was the site of penal settlements from 1852 until 1951. More than 70,000 French convicts were deported to French Guiana between 1852 and 1939. In 1809 a Portuguese-British naval squadron took French Guiana for the Portuguese Empire. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1814 the region was handed back to the French, though a Portuguese presence remained until 1817. A border dispute with Brazil arose in the late 19th century over a vast area of jungle, leading to the short-lived pro-French independent state of Counani in the disputed territory and some fighting between settlers, before the dispute was resolved largely in favour of Brazil by the arbitration of the Swiss government. In 1946, French Guiana became an overseas department of France. The 1970s saw the settlement of Hmong refugees from Laos. A movement for increased autonomy from France gained some momentum in the 1970s and 1980s, but has since abated.

Trademarks are assigned through the Intellectual Property Office Information Centre. French Guiana is a member of the Madrid Protocol and trademark registration and enforcement is controlled by France. A trademark is valid for 10 years and may be renewed for further periods of 10 years each.