The GCC Patents

The amended Unified Patent Law of the GCC countries took effect on August 16, 2000. Under this Law, a Regional Patent System is instituted whereby a single application is filed and the ensuing Letters Patent are effective in the six (6) contracting Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, The U.A.E., Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman).   Contrary to the old Law, the new Law allows protection of novel inventions only.

The GCC Patent Office has only one receiving Office located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with no Branch Offices in the capital cities of the contracting states.  Furthermore, the GCC Patent Office is not amalgamated with the Saudi Patent Office but has its own headquarters and Regulations.  The GCC Patent Law does not allow the accumulation of a National and a Regional application for the same invention and imposes the necessity, for the maintenance of a Regional application, to desist from and formally renounce the previous National application, if any.

The National Patent Office already existing in the GCC countries e.g., Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait & U.A.E., will  however continue to be operative for those who chose to apply a National application (under the National laws) instead of the Regional Application provided for under the GCC Patent Law and its Implementing Regulations.

Suitable Power of Attorney and Assignment forms as well as details of documents required for filing will be supplied and our applicable fees, will be provided, upon demand.