The government has introduced a major legal reform that now prohibits the registration of political party symbols as trademarks. The change, made official through Statutory Instrument No. 90 of 2025, was announced today by the Attorney General’s Ministry in collaboration with the Belize Intellectual Property Office (BELIPO).
The amendment closes a long-standing legal gap that allowed private individuals or unaffiliated entities to register political party logos, names, or emblems for commercial purposes.
The new rules bar BELIPO’s Registrar from accepting any trademark applications containing such political symbols.
According to the ministry, the reform represents a significant step in protecting Belize’s political heritage and democratic integrity. Under the updated rules, a “political party symbol” is broadly defined to include any insignia, emblem, flag, seal, logo, design, or name associated with a political party that has participated in elections over the past ten years.
The Attorney General’s Ministry stressed that the measure is not aimed at restricting the lawful use of trademarks in commerce. Instead, it is intended to ensure that political identity is preserved as a public good—not a private commodity.