On 3 May 2011 Qatar deposited its instrument of accession of the PCT, and on 3 August 2011 will become member of PCT contracting states.

Accordingly, it will be possible to designate Qatar in any international applications filed on or after the said date.

Furthermore, Qatar will be bound by Chapter II of the PCT.

It is worth mentioning that before the accession of Qatar into PCT there was no Patent or Industrial Design law, although publication of cautionary notices was available.

Filing PCT application requirements in Qatar are:

• Power of attorney duly legalized up to a consulate of the Qatar.
• Certified copy of the extract of the entry of the applicant in the Commercial register.
• Abstract, specifications, drawings, and claims in English along with Arabic translation (the translation can be submitted within three months from the date filing).
• Duly legalized deed of assignment signed by the inventor(s), if the applicant is not the inventor.
• Certified copy of the original application in case priority is claimed.

Should you need more information regarding the above, please feel free to us Qatar office at qatar@qumsieh.com.