tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721866969678776822024-03-08T10:40:15.300+03:00IP Empty QuarterInteresting items of news about Intellectual Property in the Middle East and North Africa reach even this tranquil corner of the vast emptiness that is the Empty QuarterRub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-11635265108429880952018-03-19T13:32:00.001+03:002018-03-19T13:32:18.045+03:00Some new items from the last week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some news items....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">19 March 2018</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/333020/Vow-to-curb-fake-Japanese-products-in-UAE-">JETRO
and ME-IPG vow to curb fake Japanese products in the UAE</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">18 March 2018</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302675211">Dubai Design & Fashion
Council (DDFC) and DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority (DRA) sign cooperation
agreement </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">15 March 2018</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/530520/SAUDI-ARABIA/Road-map-for-IP-reform">Saudi
Authority for Intellectual Property Rights holds first meeting</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thearabdailynews.com/2018/03/14/egypt-tackles-software-piracy-with-lowest-theft-rate-in-middle-east/">Egypt
tackles software piracy, with lowest theft-rate in Middle East</a></span></span></div>
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14 March 2018 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mondaq.com/x/682306/data+protection/Dubai+Issues+New+Data+Policies">United
Arab Emirates: Dubai Issues New Data Policies</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/dubai-destroys-dh1-19-billion-worth-counterfeit-goods-1.2187150">Dubai
destroys Dh1.19 billion worth counterfeit goods</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">13 March 2018</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zawya.com/uae/en/story/Emirates_Intellectual_Property_Association_highlights_2017_achievements_and_reveals_2018_roadmap_to_development_during_recently_concluded_annual_meeting_-ZAWYA20180313121654/">Emirates
Intellectual Property Association highlights 2017 achievements and reveals 2018
roadmap to development during recently concluded annual meeting</a></span></span></div>
</div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-56036077399293294912017-02-02T13:59:00.004+03:002017-02-02T13:59:58.138+03:00Libya - (no) progress on publication of trade mark applications <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">News from
good friends SMAS that there have been no publications of trade mark applications since the last publication "Publication no.3" on 4 June 2015 with application numbers 20195 to
20465, reported back in June 2016 <a href="http://ipemptyquarter.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/libya-slow-progress-on-publication-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-2344301531222264192017-02-02T10:36:00.000+03:002017-02-02T10:36:51.774+03:00UAE - seizure of counterfeit car parts in Abu Dhabi in January 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A report in Gulf News (<a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/biggest-seizure-of-fake-auto-parts-in-abu-dhabi-1.1959578" target="_blank">here</a>) of a seizure of a large amount of counterfeit car parts in Abu Dhabi in January 2017. The report reads: <br /><br /><i>"Abu Dhabi: Around 21 truckloads of fake auto spare parts confiscated on a single day by Abu Dhabi officials will be destroyed after completing legal procedures, officials said on Tuesday.<br /><br />In the largest seizure of fake spare parts in the emirate, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) confiscated more than 500,000 pieces worth Dh15 million on Thursday, officials said at a press conference on Tuesday.<br /><br />The officials raided a large auto spare parts shop and warehouse owned by an individual in Al Ain on Thursday morning and it took around 20 hours to count the number of seized products, a senior official told Gulf News.<br /><br />“It was a Herculean task to transport them to ADDED’s warehouse in 21 trucks. They will be destroyed after completing the legal procedures,” said Ahmad Tarish Al Qubaisi, director of Commercial Protection Division at ADDED.<br /><br />The seizure of fake spare parts of several major global vehicle brands has averted potential threat to the safety of motorists and other road users in the UAE, he said.<br /><br />Fake spare parts like brake pads can cause fatal road accidents, he said. Many other fake parts like filters may cause fire and explosion in vehicles, said the representatives of automobile companies who were present at the press conference.<br /><br />The officials did not reveal the identity of the accused dealer whose shop in Al Ain was closed down after the seizure of fake products. A fine and other penalties will be imposed on him after completing the investigations. “We are investigating whether he was doing retail sales or wholesale deals. Wholesale deals will attract heavier penalties,” Al Qubaisi said.<br /><br />The goods were imported from a foreign country. The officials did not reveal the brand names of the fake products. “We don’t want to cause panic among customers,” they said.<br /><br />Hatem Abdul Ghani, a legal consultant of automobile dealers in the UAE, told Gulf News that the seized goods were the imitations of almost 15 global brands of vehicles. “Around 50 per cent of them were of a single popular brand.”<br /><br />The dealer was offering the fake goods at one-third of the price of the original products, he said.<br /><br />Ali Majid Al Mansouri, ADDED chairman, said the department would continue to check commercial fraud and intensify inspection and field visits in coordination with other stakeholders. These commercial crimes negatively affect the economy of Abu Dhabi and the UAE economy in general, he said.<br /><br />Khalifa Bin Salem Al Mansouri, ADDED acting undersecretary, said the department’s inspectors have wide legal powers and they regularly visit malls and consumer markets to look for any violations.<br /><br />Mohammad Munif Al Mansouri, acting executive director of the ADDED’s Abu Dhabi Business Centre (ADBC), highlighted the cooperation of trademark owners of spare parts in the seizure of goods from one of the biggest warehouses in Al Ain city.</i></span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />21 truckloads of goods confiscated<br />500,000 pieces of fake spare parts<br />Dh15 million is the value of fake spare parts<br /><br />Report fake products<br /><br />Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has urged consumers to report fake products to the department by calling the toll-free number 800555.“We advise consumers to always look for original auto spare parts and never compromise your safety by buying cheaper fake products,” the ADDED officials said. They said buying the product from authorised dealers is the only way to ensure its genuineness. It is difficult for a consumer to distinguish between original and fake products. Even authorised dealers often find it hard to do so because counterfeiters have become smarter these days, they said."</span></span></i></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-63196596969934703782017-02-02T10:32:00.000+03:002017-02-02T10:32:16.661+03:00GCC Patent Office - summary of practice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Good friends Saba have published a useful summary of the GCC Patent Office in their January 2017 newsletter (available <a href="http://www.sabaip.com/en/News/GCC-Protecting-Innovation-through-the-Regional-Patent-Office">here</a>). They say:<br /><br /><i>"With increasing official or government fees across the board relating to Intellectual Property procurement, regional offices can provide a more cost effective alternative when available. Patent attorneys and law firms worldwide are aware of the European Patent Office (EPO) and in most cases of the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO). Possibly due to the lag in emergence and development of certain regions, other regional patent offices are less known and utilized, namely, the GCC Patent Office (GCCPO). In this report, we will discuss the GCCPO in more details. <br /><br /><b>History and Statistics </b><br /><br />The GCCPO, as its name indicates, is the regional office for patent protection in the six GCC member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The GCCPO is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is independent from the Saudi Patent Office, which is also based in the same city. <br /><br />The GCC Patent Law was introduced in 1992. The first GCC patent application was filed in 1998 and the law was amended in 1999. The related implementing regulations were issued in 2000. <br /><br />According to the statistics available on the GCCPO website, and as of the end of 2015, approximately 30,000 patent applications have been filed since 1998. Of these, approximately 16,000 applications have been examined and completed and approximately 14,000 are pending, i.e. under formal examination, under substantive examination or other. <br /><br />As of the end of 2015, 3,992 patents have been granted and issued in various fields. This means that roughly 12,000 applications have been rejected, cancelled or abandoned for various reasons. <br /><b><br />Filing a GCC Patent Application</b> <br /><br />The GCCPO accepts applications from all over the world. Most foreign applications claim a 12 month priority, similar to a Paris Convention filing, albeit the GCCPO is not a member of the Paris Convention as stated in the table in the introduction. <br /><br />According to the statistics published by the GCCPO, the top 5 filers between the years 2011 and 2015 are, in decreasing order: USA, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Netherlands and Germany. <br /><br />The GCCPO is an electronic filing office. All requests, notifications and documents are managed electronically via the GCCPO portal. The following documents, in addition to the disclosure (i.e. title, abstract, description, claims and figures) are required: a legalized POA; a legalized DOA; and a certified copy of he claimed priorities. <br /><br />Legalization of the above listed documents may be made up to the Consulate of any of the 6 member states. All the supporting documents may be submitted within 90 days from the filing date. These documents are submitted electronically, as color scans, while the original paper documents have to be maintained in a safe place in case the need arises to re-scan for quality reasons or for actual submission if requested by the patent office. <br /><br />In addition to these supporting documents, a complete Arabic translation of the disclosure is required, and required to be submitted at the time of filing. The translation has to be provided according to the formatting and requirements of the regulations, i.e. paper size, margin size, etc. <br /><br />In case the formal requirements are not all met in a timely fashion, the application will be cancelled and a notification to the same will be issued, roughly within a year or so. There is no provision in the regulations for requesting an extension of time at any stage during the prosecution of a GCC patent application. <br /><br />If all the requirements are met, the application then moves into substantive examination. <br /><br /><b>Substantive Examination </b><br /><br />Substantive examination has to be requested and the related fees settled within 90 days from issuance of the notification to do so by the patent office. This notification is usually issued after 2 years from filing, depending on the backlog. The GCCPO has been accelerating examination lately. <br /><br />While the GCCPO examines many of the applications, a number of the application is examined by the Chinese Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and to a lesser extent, the Austrian Patent Office. <br /><br />Once started, examination is relatively rapid and depending on the reply to the office actions, a decision may be issued within months from the date of last response. <br /><br />A favorable decision will result in the grant and publication of the application, which then becomes open to opposition for a period of 90 days. If no opposition is filed, then the patent is issued and may be enforced in all 6 GCC countries without the need for validation. <br /><br /><b>Patent Maintenance</b> <br /><br />As is the case in practically all patent systems in the world, the patent term for a GCC patent is 20 years, calculated from the filing year. This part sometimes gets confusing as the calculations are not based on the filing date or priority date as one would expect. <br /><br />Annuities are due in the first quarter of each year following the filing year. In other words, annuities should be settled between January 1 and March 31 of each year, with a grace period until June 30 with a penalty fee. As an example, for an application filed on any day in 2016, the 1st annuity is due between January 1 and march 31 of 2017. Subsequent annuities are due similarly. <br /><br />An interesting provision with regards to annuities for GCC patent applications is that after the 4th year, and in case the patent has not granted yet, the patentee is exempt from paying the annuities. Upon grant, the back-annuities will then have to be settled in order to proceed with the issuance. <br /><br /><b>Enforcement</b> <br /><br />A GCC patent can be asserted and enforced in all 6 GCC countries. In case of a suspected infringement or actual infringement in any one of the 6 countries, legal action may be taken and the GCC patent used to support the plaintiff’s case. <br /><br />The competent court for taking such an action will be the competent judicial authority in the country where the infringement is taking place. There isn’t a unified court for the GCC patent system, at least not yet. <br /><br />Currently, there are no specialized courts in the GCC countries. IP litigations are handled in the courts of first instances or civil courts whichever is applicable, with the exception of Saudi Arabia. The courts have appointed sworn experts who will provide an opinion during patent litigation cases. <br /><br />In Saudi Arabia, the competent authority is the Committee which is composed of three law specialists and two technical experts. Decisions of the Committee shall be issued by majority vote. An appeal against any decision issued by the Committee may be brought before the Board of Grievances. <br /><br /><b>In closing </b><br /><br />Needless to state, and in the interest of not losing the readers, many details relating to the sections above have been omitted. Nevertheless, the main points and ideas have been introduced and presented. <br /><br />Simply by looking at various statistics related to the region, there is no doubt of the growth this particular area of the Middle East has experienced over the past decade and is expected to maintain a sturdy growth for the coming years. Investments for the development of various industries as well as in innovation can be seen in the two largest economies of the GCC, namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE; but also in Qatar and Oman and to a lesser extent in Bahrain and Kuwait. <br /><br />The region has drawn the attention of all major global players as attested by the diversified patents and patentees and from where we stand, we have witnessed a continuous growth that is not abetting yet. The region is putting its mark in the international community and is well on its way to becoming a major player in the global economy. Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please contact us at <a href="mailto:news@sabaip.com">news@sabaip.com</a>"</i><br /> </span></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-51883507247867262152017-02-02T10:31:00.000+03:002017-02-02T10:31:59.745+03:00Iran - new trade mark filing requirements<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Good friends Saba report details of a change in practice in Iranin their January 2017 newsletter (available <a href="http://www.sabaip.com/en/News/Iran-Trademark-Requirements-Revised" target="_blank">here</a>). They say:<br /><br /> <i>"Iran recently announced that a legalized extract from the commercial register is required for new trademark applications and oppositions and must be submitted within 60 days from filing date—a simply signed copy is required at the time of filing, however. As for renewal applications, a notarized extract from the commercial register is sufficient.<br /><br />Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please contact us at news@sabaip.com"</i></span></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-29546550221064134912017-01-31T21:42:00.001+03:002017-01-31T21:42:20.088+03:00Jordan - summary of Customs recordals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Good friends Saba have published a useful summary of Customs recordals in Jordan in their January 2017 newsletter (available <a href="http://www.sabaip.com/en/News/Jordan-Customs-Recordal" target="_blank">here</a>). They say:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Border measures are a key tool in the fight against counterfeiting
and piracy and a critical element of a successful intellectual property
enforcement system. In the scope of the continuous efforts to create
competent border enforcement measures and to provide effective
protection, recordals in Jordan are available at two different
authorities, the General Customs Department and the Aqaba Special
Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). Both work separately, however. ASEZA is
only concerned with the shipments that are cleared into the free zone
only.</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One fundamental premise of the recordation system (other than
providing a central registry containing information for recorded
trademarks) is that it allows Customs officials to adopt an <em>ex-officio</em> border system. An <em>ex-officio</em>
system is different from the standard border system in which a judicial
authority orders Customs to detain the infringing shipment after
identifying the infringing goods. The key advantage of the <em>ex-officio </em>system
is that it allows for prompt and proactive action by Customs officials
thus avoiding the delays inherently involved in seeking judicial action.
Customs officials are always on the lookout for infringing goods and
are thus able to act quickly to confiscate counterfeit and pirated
merchandise.</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Pursuant to this recordation system, the owner of a trademark
registration can apply to the above-mentioned entities requesting
recordation. The application should include certain information as
required by the applicable policies and must be accompanied by the
certificate of registration of the mark and a power of attorney. The
Customs will then issue a recordation notice.</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The below table lists the required documents for recordal with the General Customs Department and ASEZA:</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="319">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><strong>Recordal with General Customs Department</strong></span></span></i><br />
</td>
<td width="319">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><strong>Recordal with Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)</strong></span></span></i><br />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="319">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Power of attorney, legalized up to the Jordanian consulate</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Copy of the registration certificate of the trademark to be recorded</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• A petition duly executed on behalf of the rights holder</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Brochures or images showing how the genuine trademark is being used</span></span></i><br />
</td>
<td width="319">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Power of attorney, legalized up to the Jordanian Consulate</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Copy of the registration certificate of the trademark to be recorded</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Application form</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">• Brochures or images showing how the genuine trademark is being used</span></span></i><br />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="319">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Recordal is valid for the trademark’s protection term, renewable for like periods</span></span></i><br />
</td>
<td width="319">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Recordal is valid for one year, renewable for like periods</span></span></i><br />
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /><i>Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please contact us at <a href="mailto:news@sabaip.com">news@sabaip.com"</a></i></span></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-13153263856638115092017-01-31T21:37:00.001+03:002017-01-31T21:37:41.201+03:00WIPO - PCT Guides - Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">News from WIPO that these PCT Guides have been updated:<br /><br />Bahrain - General Information – Annex B (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexb1/ax_b_bh.pdf">here</a>) - December 2016<br />Bahrain - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_bh.pdf">here</a>) - December 2016 <br />Egypt - International Searching Authorities – Annex D (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexd/ax_d_eg.pdf">here</a>) - January 2017<br /> Egypt - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_eg.pdf">here</a>) - November 2016<br /> Iran - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_ir.pdf">here</a>) - April 2016<br />Oman - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_om.pdf">here</a>) - November 2016<br />Qatar -General Information – Annex B (here) - November 2016<br />Qatar - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_qa.pdf">here</a>) - November 2016<br />Saudi Arabia - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_sa.pdf">here</a>) - November 2016 <br />Syria - Receiving Offices – Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_sy.pdf">here</a>) - November 2016 <br /><br /><br /> </span></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-82121710379682102572017-01-31T20:57:00.000+03:002017-01-31T20:57:06.969+03:00Jordan - accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">News from good friends AGIP (by email back in December 2016) that Jordan is to join the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Their announcement reads:<br /><br /><i>"The Jordanian Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Mr. Hani Al-Mulki approved the accession of Jordan to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The Treaty provides procedural facilitations with a 90 percent discount on the submission fees offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to Jordan. <br /><br />The accession of Jordan to the PCT would benefit both local and foreign applicants, which would contribute to the increase of patent applications submitted to the Directorate of Industrial Property Protection, affiliate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. <br /><br />The Council instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to deposit the accession documents with the Secretary General of WIPO and authorized the permanent representative of the Kingdom in Geneva to sign the treaty."</i><br />Followed this month by news from good friends Saba in their January 2017 newsletter (<a href="http://www.sabaip.com/en/News/Jordan-Upcoming-PCT-Accession">article here</a>) which reads:<br /><br /><i>"Pursuant to amending the Patents Law in 2016, the Jordanian Council of Ministers approved the accession of Jordan to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Accordingly, the instrument of accession is being prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Supply and will be signed on behalf of the government of Jordan and submitted at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). <br /><br />During the transitional period into becoming a member of the PCT, the Ministry concerned will raise awareness to familiarize all stakeholders with the Treaty. We expect further developments and news in this area that should clarify the direct benefits of Jordan’s upcoming accession to the PCT.<br /><br />Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please contact us at <a href="mailto:news@sabaip.com">news@sabaip.com"</a></i></span></span><br />
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Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-21132304951674027612016-09-21T15:25:00.000+03:002016-09-21T15:25:11.108+03:00Saudi Arabia - closed for National Day on Thursday 22 September 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All government offices including the Patent Office, the Trade Mark Office, the Courts, Ministries and the GCC Patent Office will be closed on Thursday 22 September 2016 for the National Day holiday. Any deadline falling on Thursday will be deferred to Sunday 25 September 2016.</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-67564298228927334182016-09-20T18:51:00.001+03:002016-10-02T11:09:52.756+03:00GCC Trade Mark Law - resources - updated 2 October 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is a list of articles published on the GCC Trade Mark Law.<br /><br />September 2016 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/saudi-trade-mark-office-adopts-gcc-trade-mark-law-legal-and-practical-impli" target="_blank">Saudi Trade Mark Office adopts GCC Trade Mark Law - Legal and practical implications</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September 2016 - Rouse - <a href="http://www.rouse.com/magazine/news/saudi-arabia-increases-their-official-fees-for-trade-marks-effective-27-september-2016/?tag=saudi%20arabia" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia increases their official fees for trade marks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September 2016 - Gowlings - <a href="http://www.legalweeklaw.com/abstract/fee-levels-brand-owners-react-fast-middle-east-north-africa-28206" target="_blank">Fee levels: why brand owners need to react fast in the Middle East and North Africa</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September 2016 - AGIP - </span><a href="http://www.agip.com/news.aspx?id=7464&group_key=news" target="_blank">GCC TM Law and its Implementing Regulations Come into Force in KSA</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September 2016 - Saba & Co - <a href="http://www.sabaip.com/en/News/SAUDI-ARABIA-INCREASE-IN-OFFICIAL-FEES-AND-SUBSTANTIAL-PROCEDURAL-CHANGES-IN-TRADEMARK-OPPOSITIONS" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia: Increase in Official Fees and Substantial Procedural Changes in Trademark Oppositions</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September 2016 - Kadasa - <a href="http://kadasa.com.sa/news/The-GCC-Trademark-Law-is-published-in-Saudi-Arabia" target="_blank">The GCC Trademark Law is published in Saudi Arabia</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">August 2016 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/gcc-trade-mark-law-are-increased-official-fees-inevitable">GCC Trade Mark Law - Are increased official fees inevitable?</a><br />August 2016 - Al Tamimi - <a href="http://www.tamimi.com/en/magazine/law-update/section-14/august-2/the-importance-of-opposing-trademark-applications-in-bahrain.html" target="_blank">The importance of opposing trademark applications in Bahrain</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">July 2016 - Rouse & Co - <a href="http://www.rouse.com/magazine/news/saudi-arabia-gcc-trade-mark-law-and-implementing-regulations/">Saudi Arabia - GCC Trade Mark Law and Implementing Regulations</a><br />July 2016 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/saudi-arabia-edges-closer-to-implementing-the-gcc-trade-mark-law">Saudi Arabia edges closer to implementing the GCC Trade Mark Law</a><br />February 2016 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/the-start-of-a-new-era-gcc-trade-mark-law-implemented-in-kuwait" target="_blank">The start of a new era - GCC Trade Mark Law implemented in Kuwait</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">January 2016 - Saba & Co - <a href="http://www.sabaip.com/en/News/GCC-Laying-Down-the-Trademark-Law" target="_blank">GCC: Laying down the Trademark Law</a><br />January 2016 - AGIP - <a href="http://www.agip.com/News.aspx?id=6317&group_key=news&keywords=gcc+trademark" target="_blank">Increase in Trademarks Official Fees in Kuwait</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">January 2016 - Al Tamimi - <a href="http://www.tamimi.com/en/magazine/law-update/section-14/february-8/gcc-unified-trademark-law-key-provisions-and-challenges.html" target="_blank">GCC Unified Trademark Law: Keyprovisions and challenges</a><br />December 2015 - AGIP - <a href="http://www.agip.com/News.aspx?id=6295&group_key=news&keywords=gcc+trade+mark" target="_blank">GCC Trade Mark Law & Implementing Regulations</a><br />December 2015 - Kadasa & Partners<br />October 2015 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/ip-newsletter-article-october-2015-the-gcc-trade-mark-law" target="_blank">The GCC Trade Mark Law: moving closer, in different ways</a><br />September 2015 - AGIP - <a href="http://www.agip.com/News.aspx?id=6261&group_key=news&keywords=gcc+trademark" target="_blank">GCC Trademark Law & Implementing Regulations</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">February 2015 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/ip-newsletter-article-february-2015-licensing-provisions-in-the-draft-gcc-t" target="_blank">Licensing provisions in the draft GCC Trade Mark Law</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">November 2014 - Clyde & Co - <a href="http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/ip-newsletter-article-november-2014-a-unified-gcc-trade-mark-law-half-way-t" target="_blank">A Unified GCC Trade Mark Law</a><br />March 2014 - AGIP - <a href="http://www.agip.com/News.aspx?id=4794&group_key=news&keywords=gcc+trademark" target="_blank">Bahrain Approves GCC Trademarks Law</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If there are other articles not referred to please email this part of the Empty Quarter who will gladly update the list.</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-78069484763612361322016-09-19T18:09:00.004+03:002016-09-19T18:09:55.227+03:00UAE - administrative enforcement in Ras Al Khaimah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News from Khaleej Times (<a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/ras-al-khaimah/133-counterfeited-products-seized-in-rak" target="_blank">here</a>) of enforcement by the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Department in September 2016. The news is that the Economic Department in Ras Al Khaimah are taking action against counterfeit products being sold in a shopping centre, rather than the quantity of goods seized.</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-22756324830755682362016-09-19T18:04:00.000+03:002016-09-19T18:04:11.971+03:00WIPO - PCT Guides - Kuwait<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News from WIPO that these parts of the PCT Guide for Kuwait have been updated:<br /><br />General Information – Annex B (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexb1/ax_b_kw.pdf">here</a>)<br />National Phase – National Chapters (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol2/annexes/kw.pdf">here</a>)</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-89979565948066804282016-09-19T17:59:00.001+03:002016-09-19T18:05:44.316+03:00WIPO - PCT Guides - Qatar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">News from WIPO that these parts of the PCT Guide for Qatar have been updated:<br /><br />General Information – Annex B (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexb1/ax_b_qa.pdf">here</a>)<br />National Phase - National Chapters (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol2/annexes/qa.pdf">here</a>)</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-14147644552103125732016-07-03T07:11:00.001+03:002016-07-03T07:11:06.840+03:00Syria - reduction in Madrid individual fee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News from WIPO (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/edocs/madrdocs/en/2016/madrid_2016_21.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>) that from 1 August 2016 the individual fee payable for International Registrations designating the Syrian Arab Republic will be CHF39. This is a reduction from the current individual fee of CHF66. That the change is a reduction is interesting to note following the recent increases in local filing fees (<a href="http://ipemptyquarter.blogspot.ae/2016/06/syria-increase-in-official-fees.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </span> </div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-64685881793667232252016-06-30T16:40:00.000+03:002016-06-30T16:40:26.629+03:00UAE - the pirate registration of a well known mark can be cancelled even after five years of use by the owner of the registration <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News on the World Trademark Review website today of an article by Al Tamimi in which they report a case in which the Courts of First Instance, Appeal and Cassation all confirmed that the pirate registration of an internationally well known mark may be cancelled even after local use of the mark continuously for at least five years.<br /><br />The Article is available <a href="http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=e7a3bb64-9fde-4355-a04b-c592d841c6e0&utm_source=WTR+Weekly+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WTR+Weekly+Email&utm_content=WTR+Weekly+Email+2016-06-30&c=21696">here</a>.</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-3724832341165412222016-06-28T17:33:00.000+03:002016-06-28T17:33:02.673+03:00Oman - PCT e-filing and workshop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A belated report of news from April on the Muscat Daily website of developments in Oman.<br /><br />The first report (<a href="http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Oman/Now-Omani-innovators-can-file-patents-electronically-4owt">here</a>) states:<br /><i><br />"The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has launched an online system for filing patents.<br /><br />“ePCT or the electronic Patent Cooperation Treaty is a new service that will make the process of filing patents easier. The service was launched on Monday,” said Fatma Abdullah al Ghazali, consultant for external affairs to the Minister of Commerce and Industry.<br /><br />PCT assists applicants in seeking protection internationally for inventions, helps offices with their patent granting decisions and facilitates public access to technical information relating to those inventions. By filing one single application under PCT, applicants can seek protection for an invention in 148 countries, according to World Intellectual Property<br /><br />Organization (WIPO). “We are a member of PCT since 2001 but have always depended on the International Bureau of WIPO to submit all applications. From now onwards, we will receive all patent applications with the technical support of WIPO,” she said.<br /></i></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Fatma said that earlier the person or firm had to visit the country he was seeking protection in to file a patent. “It is not possible for all Omanis to go abroad to file patents as it’s an expensive affair. They even had to hire international agents to submit their applications. Now, they can visit our office or submit the patent application on our website.”"</i><br /><br />The second report (<a href="http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Oman/Focus-on-patent-at-TRC-workshop-4ox4">here</a>) states:<br /><i><br />"A two-day workshop on Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) began under the patronage of H E Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed bin Nassir al Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education and in the presence of H H Sayyid Dr Fahad bin al Julanda al Said, assistant secretary general for innovation and development of The Research Council (TRC), H E Dr Ali bin Masoud bin Ali al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, on Tuesday.<br /><br />Organised by TRC in cooperation with other organisations, it is discussing a number of issues including the topic, ‘Patents in the Sultanate of Oman: Current Status, Performance and Statistics’. The workshop coincides with the World Intellectual Property Day that is marked on April 26 every year. Participants are being introduced to basics, contracting states, statistics and main advantages of PCT."</i></span></div>
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Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-4994049155968672452016-06-28T17:26:00.001+03:002016-06-28T17:26:14.111+03:00Free anti-counterfeiting guides - Lebanon and the UAE from WTR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">World <strike>Trade Mark</strike> Trademark Review have made available on their website the 2016 edition of "Anti-counterfeiting – A Global Guide" (<a href="http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/Intelligence/Anti-counterfeiting/2016">here</a>). The guide includes chapters on Lebanon (<a href="http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/Intelligence/Anti-counterfeiting/2016/Country-chapters/Lebanon">here</a> from Walid Nasser) and the United Arab Emirates (<a href="http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/Intelligence/Anti-counterfeiting/2016/Country-chapters/United-Arab-Emirates">here</a> from Malek Khalifeh). Useful. </span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-81269431169770057462016-06-27T17:25:00.002+03:002016-06-28T07:11:44.880+03:00Eid Al Fitr 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the UAE, Ramadan is expected to end on the evening of 5 July and the Eid Al Fitr holiday to begin on Wednesday 6 July. So far we know of these holidays:<br /><br />UAE - government closed from Sunday 3 July to Thursday 7 July, reopening Sunday 10 July<br />Pakistan - government closed from Wednesday 6 July to Friday 8 July, reopening Monday 11 July<br />Saudi Arabia - government closed from Friday 1 July to Saturday 9 July, reopening Sunday 10 July</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Turkey - government closed from Monday 4 July to Friday 8 July, reopening Monday 11 July</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-66709944422904508302016-06-26T17:47:00.001+03:002016-06-26T17:47:32.842+03:00WIPO - PCT Guides - Syria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News from WIPO two weeks ago that this part of the PCT Guide for Syria has been updated:<br /><br />Receiving Offices - Annex C (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexc/ax_c_sy.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>)</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-29728969404271152642016-06-26T17:44:00.002+03:002016-06-26T17:44:26.431+03:00UAE - enforcement in Abu Dhabi so far in 2016 (part 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Further to the earlier report (<a href="http://ipemptyquarter.blogspot.ae/2016/06/uae-enforcement-in-abu-dhabi-so-far-in.html">here</a>) of enforcement in Abu Dhabi in 2016, further news from Khaleej Times (<a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/abu-dhabi/fake-goods-trade-faces-the-music-in-abu-dhabi">here</a>). Of particular interested to this part of the Empty Quarter during this Holy month is that the ADDED has "contributed to the UAE Red Crescent's charity project 'Preserving the Blessing' by donating 10,173 pieces of clothes and shoes, 102 grams of gold and Dh129,960 earned from recycling some of the seized goods."<br /><br /><br />The full article says:<i>"Abu Dhabi will impose heavy fines on businesses that are involved in commercial fraud by selling fake products. In more serious cases, it could even result in the closure of such business.<br />The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added) will introduce a number of measures and penalties based on law No (2) of 2009 on the establishment of Added and Resolution No 25 on the regulation of economic activities and licence issuance.<br /><br />"These authorise the Added to impose penalties that can even reach the closure of any establishment that is involved in commercial fraud," said Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, acting executive director of Abu Dhabi Business Centre.<br /><br />He was commenting on the joint raids carried out by the Added in cooperation with the municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region, Abu Dhabi Police, the Food Control Authority, Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council and the Waste Management Centre.<br /><br />The Added destroyed 165,000 counterfeit and fake items seized during raids in recent months. The destroyed goods included clothes, shoes, accessories, cosmetics and haircare products, electronics, telephone and mobile phones, tobacco, food products, auto parts accessories, intellectual property works, sanitary items, building materials, medicines, games and gifts.<br /><br />The Added has contributed to the UAE Red Crescent's charity project 'Preserving the Blessing' by donating 10,173 pieces of clothes and shoes, 102 grams of gold and Dh129,960 earned from recycling some of the seized goods.<br /><br />Al Mansouri said his department is committed to continue its efforts to combat trading in counterfeit and fraudulent goods and to confiscate them across the emirate of Abu Dhabi through raids.<br /><br />Al Mansouri commended the efforts of government stakeholders who took part in these raids along with Added inspectors in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region.<br /><br />The raids have revealed several malpractices and techniques followed by storekeepers.<br /><br />He said these raids come as part of an annual plan carried out this year by the Added to combat commercial fraud in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. He stressed the commitment of the Added to protect commercial activities across all sectors, especially those that are directly involved with consumers.<br /><br />He called on consumers and trademark owners in the emirate of Abu Dhabi to contact the Added on the toll-free number (800555) to report any outlets or persons carrying out commercial fraud."<br /><br /><br /></i></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-28361264691872421822016-06-21T16:22:00.001+03:002016-06-21T16:22:04.082+03:00Kuwait - accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Further to earlier news <a href="http://ipemptyquarter.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/kuwait-joining-pct.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://ipemptyquarter.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/kuwait-no-more-local-patent-filing.html" target="_blank">here</a>, news from WIPO (<a href="http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/notifications/pct/treaty_pct_208.html">here</a>) that on 9 June 2016 Kuwait deposited its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The Treaty will enter in to force in Kuwait on 9 September 2016.<br /><br />The full announcement reads: </span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div>
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PCT Notification No. 208<br />Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)<br />Accession by the State of Kuwait<br /><br />The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to notify the deposit by the Government of the State of Kuwait, on June 9, 2016, of its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), done at Washington on June 19, 1970, amended on September 28, 1979, modified on February 3, 1984, and on October 3, 2001.<br /><br />The said Treaty will enter into force, with respect to the State of Kuwait, on September 9, 2016.</span></i></div>
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Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-79605579263984464542016-06-18T09:29:00.000+03:002016-06-18T09:29:14.076+03:00UAE - UAEU licences patents to US pharma business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News in Gulf News (<a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/health/us-based-pharma-signs-licensing-agreement-for-uae-patents-1.1847846" target="_blank">here</a>) of the licensing of four patents to US pharma business, BioLegend. <br /><br />The report reads: <i>"UAE University (UAEU) has signed a licensing agreement with global US-based pharmaceutical company BioLegend, which will see four of the university’s developed patents being used to help detect Parkinson’s disease, an official from the university told Gulf News.<br /><br />The development is a big step in line with UAE’s vision of a knowledge-based economy, and also sends a positive message on the contributions that can be made from the Arab world in the fields of science and medicine.<br /><br />“Researchers from our College of Medicine have been working for 10 years on developing a new method to diagnose Parkinson’s disease using antibodies that were produced in our laboratories. After successful research results, we filed a patent for our findings, with a lot of companies around the world showing interest in our studies,” said Mohammad Al Hemairy, head of Patents and Technology Transfer at UAEU.<br /><br />“BioLegend is a multinational pharmaceutical company that is working to manufacture therapeutic and diagnostic tools for neurology diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzhemiers among others. We entered discussions and negotiations with them for over a year until we reached terms that we both agreed on.<br /><br />“The agreement grants BioLegend access to our intellectual property and patents for the next 10 years — allowing them to utilise our research findings to develop a commercial product for the market,” Al Hemairy added.<br /><br />Commenting on the specifics of the research findings and the antibodies they produced, Al Hemairy said: “In simple terms, these antibodies have features that able them to carry messages to the nerve cells in the brain, after which they will form a cluster. This cluster can then be detected by a CT scan, which will allow doctors to identify the affected cells that are being damaged by Parkinson’s.”<br /><br />Al Hemairy spoke positively on the magnitude of the patent agreements with BioLegend, and said it sets a new precedent for the university and the UAE.<br /><br />“This is something very unique and novel — here we have a major company like BioLegend, who are based in the US and are worth billions of dollars, coming and seeking knowledge from the UAE,” he said.<br /><br />“We have produced a technology that we are exporting to the outside world. We are contributing towards resolving and finding a diagnosis that is very much needed, and so there is a humanitarian dimension and benefit to what we are doing,” he added.<br /><br />Speaking on the time frame for the planned commercialisation of the patents by BioLegend, Al Hemairy said that it would take roughly 18 months.<br /><br />“Before BioLegend can send it to the manufacturing stage, there needs to be some tests for proof of concept — this is to basically prove that the findings do work and are safe to be used. After this is done, they will get the approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to manufacture the medication and drug,” said Al Hemairy.""</i></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-51889579821593417032016-06-16T06:34:00.003+03:002016-09-19T18:12:24.347+03:00Libya - (slow) progress on publication of trade mark applications and issues with registration certificates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">News from good friends SMAS that publication of trade mark applications is progressing slowly. They report that the last publication was "Publication no.3" on 4 June 2015 with application numbers 20195 to 20465.<br /><br />In other news this part of the Empty Quarter has received registration certificates recently issued from Libya where the goods applied for have been changed to the class heading by the Trade Mark Office. According to advice from local agents the Trade Mark Office is changing the specification on all new registrations certificates in this way. Some agents are simply accepting the change and others are pushing back to try have the specification changed back to that which was applied for. The class heading used is from the 8th Edition of the Nice Classification.</span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-83525644947917697452016-06-16T06:26:00.002+03:002016-06-16T06:26:15.679+03:00Yemen - class headings no longer accepted<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News from good friends SMAS by email that class headings are no loner accepted in trade mark applications. The notice from SMAS reads:<br /><i><br />"Class heading in trademark applications will no longer acceptable in Yemen<br /><br />The General Department for Intellectual Property in Yemen has issued a public notice on May 4, 2016 that the use of class heading in trademark applications will be no longer acceptable and the applicant should specify the goods/services for registration in details.<br /><br />The said decision came in force in Yemen as from 6 June 2016. <br /><br />Should you have any queries in relation to this matter or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at <a href="mailto:yemen@smas-ip.com">yemen@smas-ip.com</a>"</i></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972186696967877682.post-19237557076629399062016-06-07T13:11:00.001+03:002016-06-07T13:11:22.436+03:00Saudi Arabia's National Transformation Plan includes SAR5 million to set up an Intellectual Property Authority<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News from Arabian Business today that the National Transformation Plan of Saudi Arabia, part of the wider Vision 2030 change program, includes SAR5 million (about US$1.3 million) to set up an Intellectual Property Authority.<br /><br />The article (<a href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-reform-plan-aims-boost-non-oil-revenue--141bn-by-2020-634399.html#.V1acQfl9600" target="_blank">here</a>) says:<br /><br /><i>".....Other spending included 2.1 billion riyals to restructure the postal sector, 5 million to set up an intellectual property authority, 8 million to improve civil service performance and 3.5 billion to maintain cultural heritage....."</i></span></div>
Rub' al Khalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656379850246299314noreply@blogger.com1