Qatar’s adoption of the GCC Trademarks Law Implementing Regulations
Intellectual property (IP)
Intellectual property (IP) represents a vital aspect of modern business. Therefore, Qatar has established a robust legal framework to protect various forms of intellectual property.
The Ministerial Decision No. 56 of 2023 has been issued by the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry adopting the GCC Trademarks Law (Gulf Cooperation Council) and its implementing regulations.
GCC Trademarks Law and its implementing regulations entered into force in Qatar on August 10, 2023, and hereafter “Qatar has become the fifth Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country to implement the GCC Trade Marks Law (the TM law) marking a further significant development for trade mark practice and cooperation in the region.”
Qatar is now the fifth GCC country to adopt this Law. Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have already adopted it, except the UAE that has not implemented it yet.
The Implementing Regulations of the Trademarks Law of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries adopted by Qatar replaced the articles related to Trademarks as per the Law No. 9 of 2002, the Qatari National Law, and operated direct and significant changes in Trademarks Law.
Published on 9 July 2023 in the Qatar Official Gazette, the Ministerial Decision should have come into force on the second day of publication: 10 July 2023. Nevertheless, the Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued circular number 2/2023 on 13 July 2023 stating that the Department will apply the Decision starting from 10 August 2023.
Therefore, the adoption of the Implementing Regulations of the Trademarks Law of the GCC has entered into force in Qatar on August 10, 2023.
The main changes operated by adopting the GCC Trademarks Law are related to Implementing New Deadlines, Modifying the Official Fees and Bringing out New Practical Aspects:
- The period for examination should be 90 days from filing.
- Where an application is accepted with conditions an applicant has 60 days to appeal the decision or 90 days to conform with the condition or the application will be forfeited.
- Where an application is rejected, an applicant has 60 days from the date of notification to appeal, or the application will be forfeited.
- Where an acceptance decision is issued an applicant has 30 days from notification to pay the publication fees or the application will be forfeited.
- The opposition period has been reduced from 4 months to 60 days.
- Increase in the official fees of some services, and decrease in others.
Issued on 18 June 2023, published in the Qatar Official Gazette no. 9 of 2023 dated 9 July 2023.
Sinead Quigley, Qatar: Fifth Gulf Cooperation Council to Implement The GCC Trade Marks Law, 20 July 2023, mondaq, https://www.mondaq.com/
In addition to that, the GCC Charter originally states that the basic objectives are to have coordination, integration and inter-connection between Member States in all fields, strengthening ties between them through formulating similar regulations in various fields.However, it is eminent to notice that the Trademark law is not a unifying law like for instance the GCC Patent law, in that brand owners will still need to protect trade marks in each GCC member state of interest that has adopted it, and each state still has a lot of discretion regarding its interpretation and the practical implications. However, it seeks to bring about further practice harmonization in registration and enforcement practices across the region.
On the other hand, official fees being increased may not be suitable for many brand owners knowing that the region is already expensive. Nevertheless, reducing the lengthy time periods of the examination, publication, opposition, … will be very advantageous for the enforcement and the effectivity of the procedure.
Contact Our Team ›As a result, Qatar’s implementation of the GCC Trademark Law increases significantly Qatar’s international profile and active role in trademark protection, through harmonizing trademark regulations and level of protection in all member states. Qatar’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights underscores its dedication to fostering innovation and encouraging a knowledge-based economy in the region.
Sinead Quigley, Qatar: Fifth Gulf Cooperation Council to Implement The GCC Trade Marks Law, 20 July 2023, mondaq, https://www.mondaq.com/
