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St. Kitts and Nevis

(WIPO Code: KN)
(last revised March 2025)
by GRANT, POWELL & CO., Basseterre

Area

Saint Kitts 168 sq. km.; Nevis 93 sq. km.

Population

55,133 (2024).

Capital

Basseterre.

Currency

Eastern Caribbean Dollar; U.S. currency is widely accepted.

Language

English (official language).

On his Second Voyage in 1493 Christopher Columbus landed on the larger of the two islands and named it Saint Christopher after his patron Saint. Columbus also discovered Nevis, reportedly calling it Nevis because of its resemblance to a snow capped mountain, “nuestra senora de las nieves” or Our Lady of the Snows.

The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, also known in the country’s constitution as Saint Kitts & Nevis, achieved its independence from Great Britain in 1983 and forms part of the group of islands known as the Lesser Antilles, located some 2,000 km to the southeast of Miami.

Saint Kitts & Nevis embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually associated with the South Pacific. The atmosphere here is a blend of sunlight, sea air and abundant vegetation. At the center of Saint Kitts stands the spectacular, cloud-fringed peak of Mount Liamuiga (pronounced Lie-a-meega), a dormant volcano covered by dense tropical forest.

Tourism plays a large role in the economy of the twin island Federation economy, which offers very fine beaches and an outstandingly attractive mountainous landscape. The climate is tropical and close to perfect. Differences in altitude and corresponding differences in soil types make it a paradise for tropical plants. Saint Kitts has a very well-designed championship golf course laid out between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, with a second golf course presently being constructed in Sandy Point some twelve miles from Basseterre, the capital. There is also a championship golf course on Nevis. The truly appropriate motto of the Tourism Authority is: Two islands – One Paradise.

Table of Contents

This is an extract from the article on St. Kitts and Nevis in Katzarov’s Manual on Industrial Property. To access the whole article, subscribe here. For a free 3-day Trial, please contact us

Patents of Invention

– Patents Act (Cap. 18.25) of 2002, and Regulations.

Membership in International Conventions

– Paris Convention.
– Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Filing Requirements

– Notarized authorization of agent / power of attorney;
– Affidavit in support of application;
– Assignment (if applicable), duly notarized;
– Complete specification.

Remarks

National Phase of PCT: under Chapter I: 30 months; under Chapter II: 30 months.
Validity: patent issued after formal examination – valid for 20 years.
Annuities: are to be paid each year starting one year after the filing date.
Opposition: any person may at any time from the date of the advertisement of the acceptance of a patent give notice to the Registrar of opposition.

 

Trade and Service Marks

– Marks, Collective Marks and Trade Names Act No. 10 of 2000, in force since July 28, 2000, as amended.

Membership in International Conventions

– Paris Convention.

Filing Requirements

– Formal Letter of Request that the mark be registered, requested from the local agent and addressed to the Registrar of Intellectual Property;
– Certified authorization of agent form or power of attorney, which must state the name and address of the owner of the mark and agent; if the Notary’s certificate is in a foreign language, a signed and dated translation into English must accompany the form;
– A Statement A form, which must include the name and address of the owner of the mark, classes and description of goods or services to be protected;
– An original notarized Declaration, required for any new application, which must include the applicant’s name and address, be sworn on behalf of the entity save and except if applicant is an individual (address the validity of the content of the Statement A);
– 10 representations of the mark (that can clearly identify it and show all its features), size 3 x 3 cm; not required for word marks;
– Certified priority document(s) (for priority filings).

Remarks

Duration – renewals: 10 years from the filing date; renewable for further periods of 10 years.
Opposition: possible, by any third parties who wish to oppose the registration of the mark, within three months from the date of advertisement in the Official Gazette.

 

Industrial Designs

Legal Basis

– There is at present no specific legislation in force with respect to designs.

Membership in International Conventions

– Paris Convention.
– Hague Agreement, Geneva Act, since October 8, 2024.

Remarks

Industrial designs are not registrable as such. The protection accorded by a U.K. design registration automatically extends to the territory of St. Kitts and Nevis.

It must be noted that, pending local legislation, industrial designs are often filed as regular trademarks and must be registered as new marks under the current legislation of St. Kitts and Nevis. There may also be scope for an industrial design to be protected under copyright as an artistic work.

 

Domain Names

Filing

ccTLD: .kn
Applicant: individuals and legal entities.
Local presence: not required.

Remarks

Duration – renewals: one to three years, renewable.
Uniform dispute resolution procedure: none.

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