With this adoption, all new trademark applications filed in Bahrain will now be examined in accordance with the updated classification structure. This move aligns Bahrain’s trademark practice with the latest international standards and enhances consistency with other jurisdictions that have already transitioned to the 12th Edition.

Our team is monitoring the implementation closely and is available to assist clients in reviewing their trademark portfolios or preparing new applications in accordance with the revised classification.

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

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.

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.

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 main aspects of the new regulation are as follows:

• Introduction of provisions to register and protect sound marks
• Electronic publication of the accepted applications
• Opposition period shortened from 60 days to 30 days
• Adoption of the 11th Edition of Nice Classification
• New increased official fees
• Trademark protection is restricted to the trademark as applied for, i.e., Applications consisting of a black-and-white trademark will only protect the black-and-white version of the mark and will not extend to other coloured versions of the brand. The applied-for mark must be identical to the mark in use

This Decree was published on 17 January 2024 and will go into effect 30 days from the date of publication.

You can find a copy of the regulation here.

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

Effective as of 5 November 2023, this update has changed how users can file trademark applications through SAIP’s online filing system. It no longer allows applicants to select class headings. Applicants should select items from the predefined list of goods and services or select the option “all items in the class”.

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

The Department started accepting trademark applications designating items from the 10th Edition on 19 August 2023.

This new practice came in line with the implementation of the new online trademark filing system. The change in the classification was inevitable to facilitate the development of the Department’s system.

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

The new regulation stipulates that powers of attorney must revoke all prior authorisations. Further, only one local agent can be responsible for all trademarks in the same owner’s name.

The above will become effective on 1 January 2023.

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

Applicants (or their agents) can request a second review of their preliminary examinations in case of a negative decision, copies of documents, original powers of attorney, and many more items. The prescribed fees of IQD50000 (US$35) must be paid for such requests.

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

The new required documents are as follows:

• Power of attorney legalised;
• License agreement document signed by the licensee legalised, and
• Certificate of incorporation or extract from the commercial register of the licensee.

Please note that recording of the license of use agreements is not possible on trademarks registered in classes 1 to 34 in the case where both the licensee and the licensor are in the commercial and not in the industrial sector. In addition, the licensee’s activities must match the services for which the trademark is registered.

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