The UAE Cabinet of Ministers has recently issued Cabinet Resolution No. (112) of 2023, addressing services provided by the Ministry of Economy, with a focus on patents, industrial designs, and utility models. This resolution entails the reinstatement of official fees for all zero-rated services affected by the previous Cabinet Resolution No. (20) of 2020. The revised fee structure will affect various services, including annuities, publications, assignments, amendments, restorations, and more. Additionally, new services have been introduced, such as expedited examination, payment based on the number of claims, increase in the number of claims, and re-examination with minimal errors. This will come into effect on January 13, 2024, within 60 days of its publication in the official gazette.

As of November 5, 2023, Saudi Arabia has adopted the 12th Edition of the NICE whereas the applicant can can only select specific items of goods/services from the 12th Edition of the NICE Classification using the same wording and it is no more possible to claim class heading while it is currently possible to claim full list of goods/services for certain classes Saudi Arabia: In great news, the Council of Ministers approves the Kingdom’s accession to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (9). Choosing international registration may be considered an important strategy for applicants to speed up registration, reduce administrative procedures, reduce costs, pay fees and cover several countries through a single procedure.This option, of course, does not preclude national registration (directly) in one or more countries.It should be noted that each country selected for registration has the right to refuse to register a mark within its geographical scope in case of violation of any of the basic provisions of that country’s system within a certain period.

The Board of Directors of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) has decided to designate the name “Saudi Arabia” as public property of the state. Consequently, any trademark registration application that includes this name must adhere to newly approved controls. These controls stipulate that the applicant for trademark registration must be a governmental entity, or a special regulatory entity, or the trademark must be linked to a significant and distinctive real estate or service project. These controls also apply to requests for the transfer of ownership of a trademark registered under these guidelines or any other legal transactions. The rules also apply to applications for any trademark that includes the name “Saudi Arabia,” “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” or any symbol or meaning that refers to the state in Arabic or any other language. The name “Saudi Arabia” must be a component of the trademark, not its essential element. The authority’s decision also adopts the names of cities, regions, and public places in Saudi Arabia as state property. Trademark applications containing any of these names must follow specific guidelines: the name of the city, region, or public place should be a component of the trademark, not the primary element. Using these names in a trademark should not cause any confusion about the origin or source of goods or services. The authority emphasized that registering a trademark under these guidelines does not grant exclusive rights to the owner over a specific name, nor does it allow them to prevent others from using the name.

Ministerial Decision 97 of 2023, which established the Grievance Committee for Patent Appeals, is a significant step in the right direction for Qatar’s intellectual property regime. This proactive measure demonstrates Qatar’s dedication to fostering a strong and open intellectual property ecosystem and is a revolutionary method to settling patent disputes.It is anticipated that this committee would significantly alter Qatar’s patent laws by establishing a fair and open process for settling disagreements pertaining to patent applications. This article explores the committee’s expanded responsibilities and how they will affect the nation’s patent laws.