Registration process is the third step for protecting invention after patentability search and drafting patent application. It is very important to know that a patentable invention is not protected by law in Saudi Arabia and not enforced against third parties until Saudi Patent Office grants the inventor a patent certificate. In 2004 Saudi goverment has enacted the law of patent, layout designs of integrated circuits, plant varieties, and industrial models. According to the above law, a patent is subject to 20 years protection from the date of filing the application and is subject to annual maintenance fees.
The Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) has its Uniformed Patent Law which is enforced in all the GCC (6) countries; namely: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain; Thus, GCC patent law gives patentees the right to protect their patents in all the above mentioned countries through a signal registration.
Our clients have the option to register their patents under either of the above systems.
