Malta Trademark Information

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunisia, with the Strait of Gibraltar 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria 1,510 km to the east. The population is estimated at 412966 with a GDP of $9.931 billion.

Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.

Trademarks are assigned through the Commerce Department, Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment. Malta 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.