Previously, trademark filings submitted by individuals or entities of Turkish origin were rejected outright by the TMO due to the boycott of Turkey, reflecting broader political sensitivities. This restriction posed a significant barrier for Turkish applicants seeking to secure intellectual property rights in Syria and led to the effective exclusion of Turkish brands from formal protection within the country.

Under the new policy, Turkish applicants are now permitted to refile their previously rejected trademark applications. The TMO has confirmed that these applications will be processed in the same manner as other foreign filings, subject only to the payment of the official filing fees. Once submitted, applications will be examined under its standard procedures, and acceptance will be granted unless objections arise on grounds unrelated to the applicant’s nationality, such as descriptiveness, likelihood of confusion, or non-distinctiveness.

This change is expected to facilitate greater access to the Syrian IP system for Turkish applicants and may serve as an encouraging sign of improved administrative neutrality within the country’s intellectual property framework. It also underscores the evolving role of IP offices in ensuring equal access to protection irrespective of geopolitical factors.

If you have any questions, please contact syria@qumsieh.com.

Previously, a trademark application could consist of a maximum number of 10 items in the list of goods and services. The new decree allows more items for an additional charge of 5% of the official publication fee for each additional item.

This decree went into effect in January 2025.

For more information, please contact yemen@qumsieh.com.

Applicants may now request a one-month extension for specific deadlines, subject to a fee of $14. This applies to the following transactions:

• Late submission of required documents;
• Replying to an Examiner’s office action refusal decision;
• Submitting an opposition against a published trademark application;
• Filing a response to an opposition;
• Filing a response to a cancellation action;
• Submitting evidence in an opposition case, and
• Submitting evidence in a cancellation action case.

The same fee and rules also apply to requests for suspending trademark application procedures due to opposition initiated by third parties.

Applicants may submit additional extension requests as long as they are filed before the extended deadline.

For further information, please contact palestine@qumsieh.com.

These services are the publication of the Official Gazette, oppositions, recordals of assignment, and recordals of change of name and address.

This shift took place in early October 2024.

For more information, please contact yemen@qumsieh.com.

There has been no formal announcement yet; however, the implementing regulations regarding this change are expected to be issued in January 2025.

It is still unclear whether the TMO will allow multiple classes in a single application, or whether it will allow sub-classes.

For more information, please contact iraq@qumsieh.com.

The new guidelines stipulate the following:

• The PoA must contain the seal and stamp of the issuing notary;
• PoAs are valid for three (3) years only. To ensure their validity, older PoAs must be stamped by the Ministry of Justice in Qatar;
• If the PoA is not drafted in Arabic, then a certified Arabic translation is required by a certified translator;
• PoAs issued by the Qatari Embassies/Consulates abroad must be attested to by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and
• PoAs issued by foreign notaries abroad must be stamped by the Embassy/Consulate of the issuing country in Qatar and then attested to by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you require more information, please contact qatar@qumsieh.com.

Previously, when an Examiner issued a refusal decision against a trademark application, the applicant could either amend the mark within ten (10) days or appeal the decision within sixty (60) days. The new practice only allows applicants to choose the second option, which is appealing the refusal decision within the 60-day window.

For more information, please contact saudi-arabia@qumsieh.com.

This is effective as of 29 March 2024.

For more information, please contact algeria@qumsieh.com.

The trademark protection period is now ten (10) years instead of 15. This will only affect trademarks registered or renewed after the effective date.

The official fees have increased as a result of this law for all intellectual property transactions.

For more information, please contact lebanon@qumsieh.com.

The circular states that the legalised PoA is valid for only one (1) year. Therefore, agents must submit a new legalised PoA annually to maintain the applicant’s trademark registration. The same applies to the commercial register document. Failing to do so will result in the cancellation of the registration.

You can find a copy of the circular here.

For more information, please contact libya@qumsieh.com.