MUSCAT – A critical shift in practice at the Omani Trademark Office, which is under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP), fundamentally changes how brand owners must protect their intellectual property in the Sultanate.
Historically, multinational brand owners could leverage international fame or prior unregistered local use to oppose bad-faith filings in Oman. Omani authorities, however, have strictly tightened enforcement regarding legal standing. The Trademark Office now rejects opposition statements outright if the opposing party does not hold an active statutory right in Oman.
To file a valid opposition, an opposer must possess either a registered trademark or a pending application in Oman covering the same class as the contested mark.
If the brand owner does not hold a prior registration or pending application in Oman at the time a copycat mark is published, they simply cannot file an opposition statement.
To establish the necessary legal standing, a brand owner must file a new, concurrent trademark application in Oman for its mark in the corresponding class at the exact same time they submit the opposition. This “contingent application” serves as the statutory foundation for the brand owner’s claim. Without an accompanying Omani filing receipt or registration number, the registry will refuse to accept or review the opposition paperwork.
For more information, please contact oman@qumsieh.com.