Macau Court Blocks Crypto-Related Trademark Registration Over 'Economic Public Order'

A Macau court has refused trademark registration for cryptocurrency-related services, citing 'economic public order' as grounds for denial. The case involves a company that applied to register two trademarks in 2022 covering various financial and digital services, including virtual currency brokerage and cryptocurrency payments.

The Economic and Technological Development Bureau initially refused the registration due to the lack of authorization to conduct financial activities in Macau. However, the Court of Final Appeal ultimately upheld the refusal, ruling that the commercialization of these services is contrary to Macau's 'economic public order.'

The court's reasoning notes that Macau has explicitly prohibited banks and payment institutions from participating in or providing services related to virtual currencies since 2017. The concept of 'economic public order' was invoked by the court to reject the appellant's claims, despite the company holding a legitimate interest in the trademarks.

Judge José Maria Dias Azedo dissented from the ruling, arguing that simply registering a mark is not equivalent to validating or trading cryptocurrencies and that the proceedings concerned only trademark registration, not commercialization.