Applicants or their agents can file new patent and industrial design applications and annuity recordals through the new portal.

The new portal will publish accepted applications and include details on granted applications as well.

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

As for pending patent applications and issued patents, EGPO has granted IP agents a time allowance until 28 February 2022 to add such applications into the new electronic system.

Accordingly, any patents with the 20th annuity due this year must be inserted into the new online portal.

Other application procedures and fees remain unchanged.

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

Applicants and agents can conduct the following transactions via the Ministry’s website:

• Trademark assignment
• Trademark renewal
• Change of address for service after registration (appointment of an agent)

The above services can be conducted for new applications filed on or after 7 March 2021, i.e. applications filed using the new web portal launched on that date.

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

The Department also announced an additional 20% increase on the official fees on all trademark matters handled by the electronic system, with a minimum charge of OMR20 (equivalent to US$52) per application.

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

In addition, on 12 October 2020, the Directorate announced the possibility of submitting trademark renewal applications, requests for recordals, search requests, and International Registrations (IR) related transactions through the same portal, unifying all processes, making the following new trademark services available electronically via their online filing system:

• Trademark renewals;
• Recordal of change of name/address of an owner;
• Recordal of assignments;
• Changing the legal representative’s name/address;
• Appointing a new agent;
• Recordal of license agreements;
• Request to cancel a license agreement;
• Recordal of mortgages;
• Request to cancel a mortgage;
• Cancelling of a registered trademark by the owner;
• Request to amend the list of goods and services partially;
• Request to withdraw a trademark before registration;
• Other amendment requests;
• Preliminary examination requests of a trademark;
• Requests for certified copies of documents (registration certificates, applications as filed, renewal certificates);
• Inquiries by applicant name or trademark number;
• Payment of an IR official fee;
• Transitioning of an IR application to a national application (for trademarks and collective trademarks), and
• Request of a transformation of a national trademark application to an IR application.

The online system serves to enhance the filing experience for users, applicants, and agents and is meant to reduce the timeframe required to complete the procedures at the Directorate.

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

The Department’s online portal has been partially activated to accept the submission of new trademark applications as well as trademark publication requests.

All other trademark transactions, such as payment of registration fees, recordals, oppositions, etc. and all patents related transactions (including the filing of new applications), however, must be done by appointment only, in person, at the Ministry’s office.

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

On 12 March 2019, EIPO arranged a pilot workshop for IP agents to get insight of the new system.

Agents can now file a trademark application and upload the documents through the system. An officer in EIPO will review the application and verify that the supporting documents are sufficient and valid. Once an application gets approved by an officer, the trademark owner of its agent shall go to EIPO to submit the original documents and pay the prescribed fees.

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

According to the Registrar, the new online filing system went live on 13 November 2018 (although not fully operational). It is still unclear how various transactions will be handled, but we will report any major developments that might affect the cases we are handling on behalf of our clients.

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

The online system is expected to enhance the filing experience for users, applicants, and agents, and is meant to reduce the timeframe required to complete the procedures at the Patent Office.

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

Colour photocopies of the required documents can now be uploaded upon filing the application. Originals shall be supplied within 1 month of the filing date. Earlier practice of providing the original documents upon submitting the application has been discontinued.

Further, the Qatari Trademark Office (QTMO) has adopted the 11th Edition of the Nice Classification.

Finally, the QTMO now accepts trademark applications filed by individuals. Previously, a trademark application filed in Qatar had to be filed by a legal entity or company.

Should you have any questions, please contact qatar@qumsieh.com.