🇲🇻 South Asia · Indian Ocean
The Maldives is undergoing a landmark transformation in intellectual property law. The Trademark Act (Law No. 19/2025) and the establishment of MIPO in 2026 mark the country's transition from informal cautionary notices to a modern, statutory IP registration system — opening direct access to foreign applicants for the first time.
Until the formal MIPO registration system opens, the traditional cautionary notice system remains the only protection mechanism available. A cautionary notice publicly asserts ownership of a trademark through publication in leading Maldivian newspapers. It provides evidential value but not exclusive statutory rights.
If your brand has any commercial presence or interest in the Maldives — tourism, hospitality, retail, consumer goods — publish a cautionary notice in leading Maldivian newspapers today. This creates a public record of ownership and builds prior use evidence critical for the November 2026–2027 transition window.
Collect dated samples of use in the Maldives — invoices, advertising materials, correspondence, sales records, hotel registrations, website analytics. This evidence will support well-known mark claims, opposition proceedings, and defence against non-use cancellation.
Prepare word mark / high-resolution logo files, applicant's legal name and address, Nice Classification specification of goods/services, and Power of Attorney (MIPO format expected to be released with implementing regulations by May 2027).
File formal trademark applications as soon as MIPO opens — this is a first-to-file system. Early filing secures your priority position. Aswal Associates will monitor MIPO's operational readiness and file on your behalf on the earliest possible date.
If you previously relied on cautionary notices, you must formally register within the 12-month transition window (Nov 2026 – Nov 2027) to preserve prior rights. Missing this deadline could permanently extinguish whatever priority has been built through cautionary notice publications.
| Action | Timing | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Publish cautionary notice in Maldivian press | Immediately | 🔴 Urgent |
| Compile evidence of use in the Maldives | Now | 🔴 Urgent |
| Prepare Nice Classification & filing documents | Now | 🟡 High |
| File formal application at MIPO | Nov 2026 onwards | 🟢 Scheduled |
| Monitor implementing regulations (fees & forms) | Ongoing | 🟢 Ongoing |
| File within transition window (prior notice holders) | Before 11 Nov 2027 | 🔴 Hard Deadline |
Aswal Associates handles Maldives cautionary notices and MIPO filings
The Maldives is one of the world's premier luxury destinations. Hotel brands, spa brands, F&B operators, and retail brands serving this market have a strong commercial interest in protecting their IP in the jurisdiction.
The Maldives sits at a key Indian Ocean transshipment point. Consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and apparel brands operating in this corridor need customs-level IP protection that the new Act's border control provisions now provide.
The Maldives is a first-to-file jurisdiction. Brands that file formal applications on Day One (November 2026) will secure an unassailable priority position. Waiting means competing with trademark squatters and cautionary notice holders for the same marks.
For brands already registered in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, the Maldives is the missing piece of comprehensive South Asia portfolio coverage. The new system makes Maldives IP protection practical for the first time.
The window for establishing prior rights through cautionary notices is open right now. Aswal Associates handles Maldives trademark filings — from cautionary notice publication to Day One MIPO registration.