The government of the United Arab Emirates issued on March 29, 2007 resolution no. 10 of 2007 setting revised standards and requirements for cigarettes that are manufactured from tobacco and prepared by mechanical methods and which are imported and sold in the country. Basically, the revised standards and requirements are as follows: 1- Each cigarette ...

Around one million counterfeit tablets of the widely-used GlaxoSmithKline’s PANADOL painkillers were destroyed in Yemen on August 29, 2007. The destruction, considered one of the largest in the region, was attended by delegates from the Yemeni Supreme Board of Drugs & Medical Appliances, the Ministry of Health, the Public Prosecution’s Office, as well as representatives from Saba ...

The Jordanian authorities have recently seized a large consignment of counterfeit drugs, used for the treatment of cancer and heart disease. The estimated market value of the seized products is 250,000 Jordanian Dinars (around US $ 353,000). A criminal case against the perpetrators was commenced by the Public Prosecution. It is not known what effect the ...

The Kuwaiti government announced that, starting September 01, 2007, the country’s official weekend will shift from Thursday – Friday to Friday – Saturday. Interested parties should make note of this change, especially where there are deadlines.Should you have any further enquiries regarding the subject matter, please contact us at info@sabaip.com

The Yemeni government has introduced the official fees schedule in connection with patent registration and maintenance in the country. By virtue of Ministerial Resolution no. 349 of 2007, issued on August 26, 2007, the new scale of official fees covers the cost of filing up to grant of a patent including the charges related to ...

The Tunisian law enforcement’s ability to combat the importation and the sale of counterfeit goods that violate intellectual property rights was recently strengthened following the amendment of Articles 51 and 52 of Trademark Law no. 36 of 2001. Law no. 50 of 2007 amending the said Articles was  published in the Official Journal on July ...

The Patent Office of Libya has recently announced that it will accept PCT applications designating Libya and entering into the national phase.  The Patent Cooperation Treaty came into force in the country back in September 15, 2005, three months after the deposit of the Libyan government of the instrument of accession with the World Intellectual ...

Syria has introduced a new patent and utility models bill which, once effective, will replace the patent-related provisions of existing legislative Decree no. 47 of 1946. The bill was forwarded to the Syrian Council of Ministers for discussion. We will be providing you with further details soon.

The overdue regulations implementing the patent section of the Intellectual Property Law of Yemen (Law no. 19 of October 1994) came into force in the country on July 02, 2007. For a long time before that and in the absence of pertinent bylaws,  the Patent Office in Yemen was only accepting patent applications. Examination, publication, ...

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Oman on July 16, 2007 to the Budapest Treaty, the Madrid Protocol, the Patent Law Treaty, and the Trademark Law Treaty. The treaties will enter into force on October 16, 2007.  This comes in compliance with Ministerial ...

The governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates announced their approval of the unified GCC trademark law which was enacted on December 10, 2006 during the 27th summit of the GCC’s Supreme Council (Qatar: Decree no. 18/2007; UAE: Federal Decree no. 52/2007). The 50-article law outlines the general directives and rulings governing trademark registration, renewal, ...

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released on April 30, 2007 its annual "Special 301" report on the adequacy and effectiveness of intellectual property rights protection by US trading partners. According to this year’s report, Egypt and Lebanon will remain on the report’s Priority Watch List while Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will remain on ...

In line with a recent dug alert issued by the World Health Organization regarding toxic fake toothpastes, the Jordanian food and drug association has warned local consumers about the threats of such products on consumer safety and brand value.  Additionally, the Jordanian government announced that it will be conducting regular raids  in order to make ...

Kuwait has recently completed the amendment of various local commercial laws in preparation for the future talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States of America.  On the intellectual property front, these discussions will promote the establishment of a solid legal framework for intellectual property holders, more transparent and efficient customs ...

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Bahrain on February 01, 2007 to the Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Program-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite. The said treaty entered into force in the country on May 01, 2007. By way of background, the ...

According to the fourth annual global software piracy study conducted by the Business Software Alliance BSA (an international association comprising of some of the world's leading software developers) and IDC (an information technology global market research and forecasting firm), the Middle East and Africa region saw an increase in the average piracy rate in 2006 ...

A new draft law on trademarks was recently ratified by the Ethiopian House of Peoples Deputies (the Parliament). The bill will come into force in the country upon its publication in the local Gazette but will only be effective once the implementing regulations are issued by the Ethiopian Council of Ministers. The regulations, which are ...

1- The Supreme Court of Cyprus recently issued its judgment in a Court case brought by TMP Agents (now AGIP) against Saba & Co. in relation to a letter that Saba had sent to a Swiss firm in 1988, regarding publications of cautionary notices for the protection of trade marks. 2- The Supreme Court reached “the ...

The Saudi Arabian Council of Ministers issued on March 26, 2007 Decree no. 79 promulgating a new penal law on Cyber Crime for the first time in the country. This law addresses the rise in electronic crime in the country which embraces such crimes as credit card frauds, internet crimes, cyber terrorism, creation and/or distribution ...

According to a recent notification issued by the Saudi Trademark Office,  priority documents in support of trademark applications must be submitted at the Office within 6 months from priority date. Prior to this revised requirement, priority documents were usually submitted at the Office within three months from filing date. Should you have any questions, or ...

The International Trademark Association (INTA) held its 129th annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, USA from April 28 till May 02, 2007. More than 7,500 trademark professionals from more than 130 countries took advantage of five days of educational programs, committee meetings, exhibits, workshops, social events, and networking opportunities. Managers from Saba & Co. IP Offices ...

One month after the promulgation of Syrian Law no. 8 of 2007 on the protection of trademarks, geographical indications, and industrial models and designs, the Syrian Ministry of Trade and Industry issued on April 12, 2007 the implementing regulations of this law. The regulations entered into force in the country on the same day. According ...

By virtue of Ministerial Decree no. 37 of 2007, the Omani government announced its  approval of the country’s accession to the following WIPO treaties and conventions: - Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Program-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite - The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes ...

By virtue of Ministerial Decree no. 37 of 2007, the Omani government announced its  approval of the country’s accession to the following WIPO treaties and conventions: - Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Program-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite - The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes ...

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Bahrain to the Patent Cooperation Treaty on December 18, 2006. The said Treaty will enter into force in Bahrain on March 18, 2007. Bahrain is thus bound by the Treaty and consequently, any "international" patent application may ...

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Bahrain to the Trademark Law Treaty on December 18, 2006. The said Treaty will enter into force in Bahrain on March 18, 2007. The above comes within the scope of Bahrain’s growing interest to develop a solid ...

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Yemen to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property on November 15, 2006. The said International Convention will enter into force in the country on February 15, 2007. The instrument of accession, however, declares that ...

The Gulf Cooperation Council GCC announced at the end of the 27th summit of the GCC’s Supreme Council, held in Saudi Arabia on December 9 and 10, 2006, the approval of a unified GCC Trademarks Law, which will enter into force on December 10, 2006 but will only be effective once the implementing regulations are ...

The ninth edition of the Nice International Classification of Goods and Services will be in force starting January 1, 2007. It is worth noting that the Nice classification is continuously revised and a new edition is published every five years. Accordingly, the 10th edition of the classification will be due on January 1, 2012. The ...

The Algerian government has recently revised the official fees schedule in connection with the registration of trademarks and designs. By virtue of Article no. 111, recently published in the local Official Gazette no. 85 dated December 27, 2006, the official fees for most trademark and design related matters have doubled in comparison with their current ...

- Bahrain issues new intellectual property laws on the protection of trademarks, trade secrets, patents and utility models, geographical indications, copyrights and related rights.- The Bahraini Patent Office announces that it would start accepting patent applications after a suspension of two years.- The Trademark Law Treaty is approved by the Bahraini Parliament.- Bahrain approves the country’s accession to the ...

The Association for the Protection of Industrial Property in the Middle East and North Africa APPIMAF, in cooperation with the Jordan Intellectual Property Association JIPA and the World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO, organized an anti-counterfeit forum in Amman, Jordan on December 11 and 12, 2006. More than 200 participants from all over the Middle East ...

Border measures are always a key tool in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy and a critical element of a successful intellectual property enforcement system. So in the scope of its continuous efforts to create competent border enforcement measures and to provide effective protection in the country, the  Dubai Customs has recently established a trademark ...

The Jordanian Customs (JC) has recently announced that it will only notify the parties that have recorded their validly registered trademarks with the JC of the incidents of suspected goods that have been withheld at the country’s border points.The JC currently maintains a trademark recordation system for marks registered at the Jordanian Trademark Office. Therefore, ...

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Morocco to the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The said International Convention entered into force in the country on October 8, 2006. Morocco’s accession to the UPOV was already approved on ...

The United States Senate gave final congressional approval on September 19, 2006 to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Oman, sending the bill to President George W. Bush to sign into law. The completion of a comprehensive FTA had been announced on March 10, 2005. This agreement governs trade relations between Oman and the United ...

The UAE government announced that, starting September 01, 2006, the country’s official weekend will shift from Thursday - Friday to Friday - Saturday. In this context, it is worth noting that all annuity and renewal fees which will fall due on a Friday or a Saturday can be paid on the first working day following ...

Upheaval in patent legislation has been heavy over the past year in various Arab countries like Algeria, Morocco, Oman, and Bahrain. Qatar has now joined this trend! The Ministry of Trade and Industry of Qatar issued on August 07, 2006 Decree no. 30/2006 promulgating a Patent Law for the first time in the country. This ...

In the scope of their continuous efforts to enforce an outstanding intellectual property protection system, the Bahraini Parliament and the Shura Council have recently approved various intellectual property laws, details of which are summarized in the following table. The regulations implementing those laws are expected to be issued by the Kingdom by year end. Law ...

A new daft law on Trademarks, Geographical Indications, and Industrial Models and Designs was ratified by the Syrian Council of Ministers on June 06, 2006. Subsequently, the bill was forwarded to the Parliament for further review and approval. This new law, once promulgated, will replace existing Legislative Decree No. 47 of 1946 on Trademarks, Patents, ...

The fifth round of free trade negotiations between the UAE and the United States was held in Abu Dhabi on May 10, 2006. Talks on a bilateral free trade agreement started after the signature of a US-UAE Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in 2004 and are expected to wrap up in 2006. This agreement aims ...

Two years after Law no. 1 of 2004 concerning Patents and Utility Models was promulgated, the Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce issued on May 08, 2006 Resolution no. 54/2006 regarding the regulations implementing the law and the related official fees scale. Ministerial Resolution no. 54/2006 was published in Official Gazette no. 2738 on May ...

It is worth noting that the Parliament  and the Shura Council have approved Law No. 5 of 2006 concerning the Layout of Integrated Circuits and Law No. 6 of 2006 concerning Industrial Models and Designs. Accordingly, the Kingdom issued the laws on April 29, 2006 and published same in Official Gazette no. 2737 dated May ...

The government of Bahrain has recently approved the country's accession to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Customs Union which was launched by the GCC Supreme Council in its 23rd summit held in Qatar on the 21st and 22nd of December 2002. In this scope, the government of Bahrain has agreed to implement all the related ...

The government of Bahrain has recently approved the country's accession to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Customs Union which was launched by the GCC Supreme Council in its 23rd summit held in Qatar on the 21st and 22nd of December 2002. In this scope, the government of Bahrain has agreed to implement all the related ...

In the scope of the Lebanese government's continuous efforts to deter Intellectual Property theft, an Information Technology and Intellectual Property Rights Law Enforcement Office was established as a new section within the judiciary police department which falls under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor's Office. The main duties of the IT and IP Rights Law ...

Pursuant to order No. 80 issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority on April 26, 2004 amending the Trademarks and Descriptions Law No. 21 of 1957 (renaming it Trademark and Geographical Indications Law), the Iraqi Trademark Office has announced the reduction of the trademark protection period from fifteen years to ten years as of the filing ...

- Bahrain adopts the 8th edition of the Nice classification of goods and services. - Saudi Arabia implements new border measures for the protection of IP rights. - Yemen adopts the 8th edition of the Nice classification of goods and services. - Qatar amends the trademark filing requirements in order to enhance the registration system. - ...

The current law on the protection of Industrial Property (Law No. 17-97) concerning trademarks, patents of invention, topographies of integrated circuits, industrial designs and models, and geographical indications and appellations of origin has recently been amended in order to comply with the Intellectual Property Provisions of the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement dated March 8, 2004 ...

The Trademark Office in Qatar has recently modified some of its registration practices in an attempt to enhance its operations and to provide applicants with an adequate intellectual property rights registration system. The new practices include the following: 1. All applications filed at the Trademark Office after February 1, 2006 will be processed and examined ...

On February 1, 2006, the Patent and Trademark Office launched a new system to file trademark applications electronically. This new system allows applicants to fill out an electronic application form, check and review it for accuracy and precision, and then submit it directly over the internet to the Patent and Trademark Office. The system then ...

The implementing decrees No. 05-275 for patents, No. 05-276 for topography of integrated circuits, and No. 05-277 for trademarks issued on August 2, 2005 and published in the Official Gazette No. 54 on August 7, 2005 are now in force. The ordinances related to the above mentioned decrees were previously published in the Official Gazette ...

On December 26, 2005, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued Resolution No. 40/2005 regarding the official fees schedule in connection with the Trademarks Law promulgated in the year 1991 by Decree No. 10/1991.By virtue of Ministerial Resolution No. 40/2005, recently published in the local gazette no. 2720, the official fees for most trademark-related matters ...