Suriname: service classes now available, with nine-month deadline for adding to existing trade mark registrations

Written By Richard Stilwell

Important changes to trade mark law have recently taken effect in Suriname, introducing protection for service marks and, importantly, a transitional procedure which benefits owners of existing Surinamese trade mark rights.

Under legislative instrument S.B. 2026 No. 107, which entered into force on 09 October 2026, Suriname's trade mark legislation now expressly allows for the registration and protection of service marks. A one-off transitional arrangement has also been introduced for existing registrations and applications.

What does the transitional arrangement mean?

Owners of trade mark registrations which existed on 09 October 2026, as well as applicants with applications pending on that date, may request that relevant service classes be added to their existing rights, with the original filing or priority date preserved.

Notably, evidence demonstrating actual local use of the trade mark in relation to the services is required to add services to pending rights, along with payment of the relevant fee.

The transitional arrangement will remain available for nine months, meaning that requests must be filed by 09 July 2027.

What should trade mark owners do now?

Businesses with existing Surinamese registrations or applications should consider whether their marks are also used in connection with services and whether additional protection should therefore be sought.

This review is particularly worthwhile for businesses whose commercial activities have expanded beyond the goods originally protected by their Surinamese registrations. Given the requirement to demonstrate actual use in relation to the relevant services, owners should also consider at an early stage what supporting evidence is available. The deadline provides a limited window in which to take advantage of the transitional arrangement.

Lysaght can assist clients with reviewing existing Surinamese trade mark portfolios, identifying relevant service classes and coordinating the filing of requests under the new transitional provisions. We recommend any owner of service marks in use in Suriname to file applications to protect such use immediately, especially if no registered rights exist to date.

Please reach out to your usual Lysaght contact.

Richard Stilwell

Richard is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and manager in the Patents and Design department.  He is responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the department, as well as being part of operational working groups to develop and enhance internal policies and procedures. Richard graduated from the University of Leeds in 2012 with a Master’s degree (with Distinction) in Medicinal Chemistry, which included a placement year with a major U.K. pharmaceutical company. He joined Lysaght in 2015 and has worked in the IP industry for over ten years. In 2016 Richard was awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property (with Distinction) from Bournemouth University, and he became a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney in 2018. He adds a considerable skill set to the company, where he is responsible for a wide-ranging portfolio, particularly for patent cases in the Caribbean and Middle East.  In his dual role, Richard also handles prosecution and contentious matters within the trade mark department in several complex jurisdictions.

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