The Bahraini Patent Office will start accepting design annuity payments for the first time in the country. The maintenance fee will be due annually on the anniversary of the date of publication. The Patent Office did not specify a deadline for the settlement of annuities.

By way of background, the regulations implementing the industrial design law in Bahrain, law no. 6 issued on April 29, 2006, came into force in the country on February 26, 2010. The main features of the new design regulations are:

1. Protection period is 10 years from filing date. An additional term of 5 years is possible upon payment of renewal fees.
2. Applications are examined as to form, novelty and industrial applicability.
3. Multiple-figure applications are admissible with up to 50 figures per application.

In light of the above new development, Saba & Co. IP will be reviewing its files for all annuity payments that are due for settlement and will be notifying clients accordingly.

Should you have any specific inquiries regarding the subject matter, please contact us at info@sabaip.com