Brands left in limbo after trademark office suspends application process in northern Iraq

Trademark filings in Kurdistan have been suspended until further notice due to “administrative and management issues” at the office, World Trademark Review understands. Those seeking to secure registrations that cover the entirety of Iraq – which has had two self-autonomous trademark offices since 2011 – will likely have to wait until early next year for operations to resume. The development could cause headaches for brand owners seeking to enforce rights in the region, including US president-elect Donald Trump, with a ‘Trump Fish’ restaurant recently opening in the Iraqi city of Duhok.