As you may know, there was no patent law in Qatar until 3 May 2011, when it deposited its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Almost a year later, on 3 August 2011, Qatar became a PCT member where patent applicants could designate Qatar in PCT applications filed after this date.
Accordingly, Qatar will be bound by Chapter II of the PCT.
It is worth mentioning that before the accession of Qatar into the PCT, there was no Patent or Industrial Design law, although publication of cautionary notices was available.
In the beginning of November 2012, the Qatar Patent Office (QPT) began receiving PCT national phase applications in order to safe guard the priority dates and avoid patents from lapsing. Since the amount for official fees are still undecided, applicants’ representatives are required to sign a declaration agreeing to pay the fees without delay once the fee amounts are determined.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at qatar@qumsieh.com.
No Comment
You can post first response comment.