Kiribati Trademark Information

Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The population is estimated at 98,000 with a GDP of $602 million.

The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.

Trademarks are assigned through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Kiribati is not a member of the Madrid Protocol. A trademark is valid for 10 years and may be renewed for further periods of 10 years each.