19/01/2026
Dear CEOS / Aspiring Entrepreneur building a brand alongside a community, I think this is an opportunity to learn something important. 👇👇👇
Under Nigerian trademark law, ownership is not about who made a name popular. It is about who registered it as the law runs a "first to file" system, not a "first to blow" system.
The exclusive right to a trademark is acquired by registration. Once a mark is registered, the law gives the registered proprietor the exclusive right to use it for the goods or services it covers. So yes, VDM made “Ratel” popular, no doubt. But popularity without registration is not ownership.
If Blord has validly registered “Ratel”, the law recognises Blord as the legal owner of the trademark.
Involve lawyer involve lawyer u no wan hear‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Prior use does not confer ownership because this is something only registration does. The Trade Marks Act merely protects a prior user from being stopped within the exact goods or services they were already using the mark for and nothing more. Prior use cannot override a later registration in an unrelated class nor does popularity expand its scope. While registration creates ownership, prior use only preserves existing use, allowing both to co exist in different classes.
As an entrepreneur your hard work , effort, deserve more than social media recognition or popularity. Go head and register/ trademark that name/brand before what is yours become some one's else
Legal tips on business registration
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