Solicitor for Intellectual Property Law in Lija

I’m considering applying for a patent in Malta for a genuine technical invention I’ve developed. I want to understand how long the resulting protection would actually last, and whether I can simply keep renewing it indefinitely to maintain protection long-term.

I registered a trademark in Malta a few years ago and I vaguely recall something about needing to renew it periodically, but I’m not entirely sure of the timeline or what would actually happen to my protection if I simply forgot or missed a renewal deadline.

I sell an accessory product in Malta that is specifically designed to be compatible with a well-known, trademarked brand of device, and I want to clearly communicate this compatibility to customers by referencing that brand name on my packaging, along the lines of ‘compatible with’ the trademarked product. Is this kind of reference to another company’s trademark actually permitted?

I’ve been using various images I found online labelled as ‘royalty-free’ or ‘free to use’ for marketing materials for my business in Malta, without paying anything or tracking exactly where each image came from. I’m now wondering whether I’ve actually been doing this properly, or whether I could be at risk of a copyright claim.

I’ve registered my company name with the Malta Business Registry, and I also have a distinct logo design that I use for branding. I’m wondering whether registering the company name itself gives me any protection over the logo too, or whether these are treated as entirely separate matters requiring separate protection.

I own a registered trademark in Malta and I’ve been approached by another company interested in using my brand under a licensing arrangement rather than me operating it myself in a particular context. What’s actually involved in properly setting up a trademark licence, and does anything need to be formally registered?

I filed a trademark application in Malta and I’ve just been notified that another company has formally opposed my registration, claiming it conflicts with their own existing trademark. I want to understand what this opposition process actually involves and what my options are for responding.

I discovered that a business based in Malta has been using several of my original photographs on their website without ever asking my permission or paying for a licence. I took these photos myself for my own portfolio. What are my options for addressing this?