Mayotte Trademark Information

Mayotte, officially the Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte, is an overseas collectivity of France located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. The population is estimated at 194,000 with a GDP of $1.13 billion.

Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego independence. In March 2009, Mayotte voted overwhelmingly to become France's 101st department - and fifth overseas department - a change scheduled to become official in 2011.

Trademarks are assigned through the National Institute of Industrial Property. Mayotte 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.