Ministry rejects opposition, paving the way for insurance brokerage’s trademark registration in the UAE.
The UAE Ministry of Economy has approved the registration of the trademark “AXIS INSURANCE BROKERS” for an insurance brokerage company after rejecting an opposition filed by a third party claiming potential confusion with an existing mark.
The dispute arose after the insurance brokerage filed an application to register its name under Class 36, covering insurance services. The Ministry examined and published the application, prompting an objection from another entity with a similar trademark arguing likelihood of confusion.
According to submissions in the case, the defence centred on demonstrating that the three-word mark “AXIS INSURANCE BROKERS” was visually, aurally and conceptually different from the opposing party’s single-word mark. The argument stressed that UAE trademark assessment requires evaluating a trademark in its entirety rather than isolating individual words or elements.
The legal team also underscored that several “AXIS” trademarks already coexist in the UAE market, a pattern the Ministry has previously recognised as legitimate in determining distinctiveness. Supporting material included evidence of continuous use of the trademark since 2006, commercial licences, marketing materials, online presence, and documentation establishing the company’s long-standing operations as a UAE-licensed LLC.
Further arguments highlighted that insurance brokerage services differ materially from the opposing party’s banking services, reducing the likelihood of consumer confusion given the nature of the services, market segmentation and purchasing behaviour.
After reviewing the counterarguments and evidence, the Ministry of Economy found the trademark distinctive, sufficiently associated with the applicant’s insurance operations and supported by proof of long-term market use. It accepted the principles of coexistence and the whole-mark test, concluding that the objection lacked merit. The opposition was dismissed, allowing the trademark to proceed towards registration.
The proceedings were led by UAE-based legal consultancy Kaden Boriss, which represented the claimant through Nasser Yousuf Alkhamis.
Kaden Boriss said the decision underscores the importance of strong evidentiary support, proper procedural compliance and the application of established legal principles — including priority of use, coexistence and the average consumer standard — in resolving trademark disputes in the UAE.
