Curaçao is one of the so-called ABC islands in the Caribbean and is one of four autonomous countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Currently, just over 160,000 people live on the 444km² small island. A speciality is the Curaçao liqueur made from the peel of bitter oranges. However, this should not be confused with the "Blue Curaçao" known in Germany.

Less well known is probably the fact that Curaçao has a long tradition of brand protection. The first trademark application was the trademark "Maria Christina" for cigars. It was registered on 20 January 1893. The Kingdom of the Netherlands had legal jurisdiction at that time, so this trademark application was filed in accordance with Dutch trademark law of 1 January 1881, and shortly after the registration of the first trademark, a royal decree on the entry into force of its own trademark protection law for Curaçao came into force. That was November 9, 1893.

The first trademark is no longer registered. But the oldest brand is only 8 years younger. It is the trademark "Vinolia" and was registered on 30 December 1901. Protected products include soaps. Vinolia soaps were available for the first class guests on the ships Titanic and Queen Mary.

The colonial history of Curaçao and the close relations with the Netherlands have probably contributed to the political, legal and technological developments in Europe having an influence on the local economy. As the country of the Dutch Kingdom, the companies on the island benefited from historical and international events, thus promoting the history of trademark protection in Curaçao.