The asset behind the structure
Trademark & Brand Registration in Mauritius
Mauritius is often chosen to hold intellectual property. That only works if the IP is actually registered and owned.
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An IP-holding structure needs real IP
Groups use Mauritius to hold and license brands and other intellectual property, and the tax treatment of that income depends on the structure standing up to examination. It cannot if the underlying rights are unregistered, registered in the wrong territories, or still sitting in the name of a founder rather than the holding company. Registration and clean assignment are the foundation, not an afterthought.
- Registration treated as the foundation of the holding structure
- Ownership and assignment documented cleanly
- Territories matched to where licensees actually exploit the brand
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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What the structure needs
Requirements for holding IP from Mauritius
Each gap undermines the whole arrangement.
| Requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Registered rights | An unregistered brand is weak to license or value. |
| Correct owner | The holding company must actually own it. |
| Clean assignment | Transfers from founders properly documented. |
| Right territories | Registered where licensees exploit it. |
| Licence agreements | Royalties need a documented basis. |
| Substance | Decisions about the IP taken in Mauritius. |
Classification and registration procedures are set by the industrial property office and change, and the tax treatment of intellectual property income depends on current law and on substance. Advice in the licensee’s country remains necessary.
How it works
From rights to a working structure
Register, assign, then license.
01
Audit the rights
What exists, whether it is registered, in which territories, and in whose name it currently sits.
02
Register and assign
Gaps filled with new filings, and ownership transferred into the holding company with proper assignment documentation.
03
License and maintain
Licence arrangements documented, renewals calendared and the substance position supported.
- The marks and other rights involved
- Where each is currently registered
- In whose name each is registered
- Any unregistered brands in use
- Countries where licensees exploit the brand
- Expected royalty flows
- Existing licence agreements
- Whether founders hold rights personally
- Full list of goods and services
- Group structure chart
- Advice already received elsewhere
- Timeline for the structure
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Audit of existing registered and unregistered rights
- Gap analysis against the intended structure
- Mauritius register search and filing
- Classification advice
- Assignment documentation co-ordination
- Guidance on licence arrangements
- Renewal tracking
- Co-ordination with counsel in licensee markets
Not included, quoted separately
- Registry fees, paid at cost
- Fees per additional class
- Filings outside Mauritius, quoted separately
- Foreign counsel fees
- Licence and assignment agreements drafted by a lawyer
- IP valuations
- Opposition and enforcement proceedings
- Tax advice in the licensee’s country
Verify independently
Official Mauritian authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Industrial Property OfficeCorporate and Business Registration DepartmentFinancial Services CommissionMauritius Revenue AuthorityEconomic Development BoardRegistrar of Companies
Questions
Mauritius trademarks — FAQs
Can I hold an unregistered brand through a Mauritius company?
You can hold whatever rights exist, but an unregistered brand is weak to license, hard to value and vulnerable. Registration is what makes the structure substantive.
Does a Mauritius registration cover my licensees’ markets?
No. Rights are territorial. The brand needs registering where licensees actually exploit it, and we co-ordinate those filings.
What if the founder still owns the marks personally?
They must be assigned to the holding company with proper documentation, or the structure does not hold what it claims to.
Do royalty arrangements need written agreements?
Yes. Royalty flows without a documented licence basis are an obvious weakness under examination.
Is registration enough on its own?
No. The structure also needs genuine substance in Mauritius — decisions about the IP taken here. We set out what that involves.
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