This new requirement has come into force with immediate effect.

Our clients do not have to do anything, as this is an internal routine that our office will handle.

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

The new form has more fields related to the applicant, owner, priorities and patent details, and will enhance the examination and searching procedure.

It is worth mentioning that filing requirements for Patents and Utility Models are:

• Power of attorney legalized by Bahraini consulate aboard, which can be filed within 3 months from filing date;
• Full particulars of the applicant;
• Title of the patent and a summary description of the invention;
• Photocopy of the patent application from home/foreign country;
• Certified copy of priority document, and
• Specification claims and three set of the formal drawings with Arabic translation thereto (translation can be filed within 4 months from filing date).

If you need more information, please contact us at bahrain@qumsieh.com.

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.

Previously, belated submission of the documents (within 3 months from application date) was extendable for an additional one month. Now the new regulation states that it is not possible to apply for extension of time (the 1 month allowance) after expiration of the 3 months period, and failing to submit documents in due time will result in lapsing of the application.

If you have any questions please contact oman@qumsieh.com.

Our Djibouti office is now ready to handle your IP applications (Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, and integrated Circuits).

Accordingly, the new law now extends IP protection to patents, industrial designs, and integrated circuits; this was not available before now; under the old procedure only trademarks could be protected by the interested parties who had to submit a petition before the court.

Essential features of the legislation are as follows below for each heading of IP:

1. Trademarks

1.1 Filing

Required documents:

• Simply signed power of attorney. The name and capacity of the signatory should be indicated.

Notes:

• The power of attorney should be filed with the application as late filing of documents is not allowed.

General information on filing:

• Djibouti follows Multi-Class filing system.
• Classification of goods / services: 10th Edition of Nice Classification.
• Registrable signs: word mark, figurative mark, denominative mark, combined mark, three-dimensional mark, sound mark, olfactory mark, collective mark.
• Time from filing to registration: 5 days.
• Claiming priority under Paris Convention: Yes.
• Protection (registration) duration: 10 years.
• Renewal application can be made within: 6 months before expiry.
• Filing International Registration under Madrid Agreement: No.
• Filing International Registration under Protocol to Madrid Agreement: No.
• Examination type: Substantive examination – it is done immediately upon receiving the application.
• Publication: Djibouti Office (ODPIC) publishes the trademarks in the weekly local newspaper “La Nation”.
• Opposition period: no opposition system.
• Cancellation action: Can be done before the Registrar within 6 months from the date of publication in the local newspaper (after registration) if cancellation initiated after this period, it has to be done before the court.

1.2 Renewal

Required documents:

• Simply signed power of attorney.

Notes:

• The power of attorney should be filed with the application as late filing of documents is not allowed.

General information on renewal:

• Renewal duration: 10 years.
• Grace period to renew after expiration: 6 months restoration with penalty charge.

1.3 Search

Required documents:

• No documents are required.

General information on search:

• Method of conducting the search: Computerized.
• Time required completing the search: Within 24 hours.

1.4 Assignment

Required documents:

• Simply signed power of attorney.
• Deed of assignment notarized.

Notes:

• All documents should be filed with the application as late filing of documents is not allowed.

1.5 Merger

Required documents:

• Simply signed power of attorney.
• Notarized deed of assignment.

Notes:

• All documents should be filed with the application as late filing of documents is not allowed.

General information on merger:

• Time period of the license: Defined by the contract agreement.

1.6 Recordal of Change

Required documents:

• Simply signed power of attorney.
• Certificate of change of applicant name / address notarized.

Notes:

• All documents should be filed with the application as late filing of documents is not allowed.

2. Patents

2.1 Filing

Required documents:

• Power of attorney simply signed stamped and sealed by the applicant and the name and capacity of the signatory should be indicated clearly on the PoA.
• Three copies of specifications, claims and drawings in translation to be provided within 3 months from filing date.
• Certified copy of the priority document in case priority is to be claimed (must be filed within 3 months – non extendable).

Novelty and Disclosure requirements:

• Absolute disclosure required. In case of disclosure in exhibitions or without approval and knowledge of the inventor, grace period of 12 months is given.

General information on filing:

• Protection duration: 20 years.

2.2 Annuities

Payment of annuities:

• 1st annuity (from 1st to 5th year).
• 2nd annuity (from 6th to 10th year).
• 3rd annuity (from 11th to 15th year).
• 4th annuity (from 16th to 20th year).

2.3 Assginment

Required documents:

• Power of attorney simply signed by the applicant stamped and sealed by the applicant, and the name and capacity of the signatory should be indicated clearly on the PoA.
• Certified copy of the deed contract along with certified translation into French.

2.4 Merger

Required documents:

• Power of attorney simply signed by the applicant stamped and sealed by the applicant, and the name and capacity of the signatory should be indicated clearly on the PoA.
• Certified copy of the deed of merger contract along with certified translation into French.

3. Industrial Designs

3.1 Filing

Required documents:

• Power of attorney simply signed stamped and sealed by the applicant and the name and capacity of the signatory should be indicated clearly on the PoA.
• Three sets of the representation of the design.
• Summary description of the design.
• Certified copy of the priority document in case priority is to be claimed (must be filed within 3 months – non extendable).

General information on filing:

• Protection duration: Industrial Designs and models are protected for five years. The term of five years may be extended for two further consecutive periods each of five years. As such, the total protection period is 15 years.

3.2 Renewal

General information on renewal:

• Renewal fees should be paid to maintain the industrial design in force before 6 months of expiration with a grace period of 6 months, but with payment of a fine.

4. Integrated Circuits

4.1 Filing

Required documents:

• Power of attorney simply signed stamped and sealed by the applicant and the name and capacity of the signatory should be indicated clearly on the PoA.
• Three copies of specifications, claims and drawings in translation can be provided within 3 months from filing date.
• Certified copy of the priority document in case priority is to be claimed (must be filed within 3 months – non extendable).

Novelty and Disclosure requirements:

• Absolute disclosure required.

General information on filing:

• Protection duration: 10 years from filing date.

For more information please contact djibouti@qumsieh.com.

Accordingly, it is possible to designate Qatar in any international patent application as of 3 August 2011.

However, the Qatari Patent Office will be ready to receive national phase applications in the middle of October 2011.

Qatar PCT filing requirements are:

• Power of Attorney legalized up to the Qatari Consulate.
• A certified copy of the commercial register or any equivalent document, in case the application is not in respect of individual applicant.
• Abstracts, specifications, drawings and claims with their Arabic translation (the translation may be filed within three months from the date of application).
• International application number and date.

Applications must be filed within 30 months from original/first priority date.

It is worth mentioning that the official fees and date of annuity will be decided later.

If you have more queries regarding the above do not hesitate to contact us at qatar@qumsieh.com.

Accordingly, the filing requirements for patents, trademarks and designs are as follows:

Filing applications:

• A simply signed power of attorney clearly indicating the name and capacity of the signatory along with the company stamp.
• Certified copy of priority document if claimed.

Recordal of change of name:

• A simply signed power of attorney clearly indicating the name and capacity of the signatory along with the company stamp.
• Certified copy of the commercial register or any equivalent document.

Change of address:

• A simply signed power of attorney clearly indicating the name and capacity of the signatory along with the company stamp.
• Certified document attesting the new address, notarized.

Assignment:

• A simply signed power of attorney clearly indicating the name and capacity of the signatory along with the company stamp.
• Legalized Deed of assignment.

In addition to the above requirements, a declaration verifying the accuracy of the Power of Attorney should be filed by the legal representative.

The Registrar’s decision became effective as from 13 September 2011.

Should you need more assistance, please contact gaza@qumsieh.com.

This decision has been resisted and appealed based on the fact that the Minister lost the power for issuing regulations before leaving the Ministry, by all practitioners in Egypt, before the new appointed Minister, but in vain.

After that, a legal action was taken; we do not believe any decision will be made earlier than 2 years.

On the other hand, the Patent Office used to issue an official action requesting filing the Arabic translation of the “Priority document“ in respect of PCT national phase applications, considering the published text as a priority document and charge EGP 8 per page. We are now responding to such office actions stating that the said national phase is filed under the PCT agreement and not the Paris Convention, and priority has been already claimed and the Egyptian Patent Office has nothing to do with priority at all and accordingly, we shall not submit any Arabic translation of any priority document.

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

The new development regarding the annuity fees replaces the previous decision which requested that renewals be paid upon issuance of the Letters Patent.

As regards to examination, publication, and granting of patents, the following procedures are currently adopted at the YPO:

1. Formal examination of applications, that is, whether all patent filing requirements are filed.
2. Examination of claims, specifications, applicant details, inventors and other details will be searched through the WIPO database to find out whether any prior or similar patents were filed or granted
3. In case no similar or previously granted patents are found, the patent application will be accepted and then forwarded to publication in the gazette for a three month opposition period.
4. If no opposition is filed within the three months, the Letters Patent will be due for issuance after paying the registration fees.

For more information please send your inquiries to yemen@qumsieh.com.

This covers all patent applications filed before June 2010. Failure to do so will result in the lapse of those applications.

Although the IPO decision was surprisingly unexpected, we have no other option but to comply.

NJQ & Associates will monitor our client’s patent applications submitted through us for missing documents, and will inform you accordingly in order to act before the deadline.

If you have further questions please contact us at iraq@qumsieh.com.