Handbook 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HANDBOOK 2018 www.agip.com AGIP HANDBOOK 2018 | 1 INDEX Page Chairman’s Message 3 Introduction 4 Treaties and Conventions 8 Afghanistan 10 Algeria 13 Bahrain 17 China 23 Cyprus 26 Egypt 28 Erbil 34 GCC Patent Office 36 India 38 Iran 46 Iraq 49 Jordan 55 Kuwait 61 Lebanon 65 Libya 71 Morocco 76 Nigeria 80 Oman 81 Pakistan 85 Palestine-Gaza 91 Palestine-West Bank 94 Qatar 98 Russia 103 Saudi Arabia 106 Sudan 112 Syria 117 Tunisia 123 Turkey 127 United Arab Emirates 132 Yemen 139 Liaison Offices 144 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE Dear clients, colleagues, associates and friends, international organizations, including the World It brings me great pleasure to provide you with Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the latest edition of the Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual the World Trade Organization (WTO); with Property (IP) Handbook. This year, the Handbook NGOs such as the International Trademark will be made available to you electronically on Association (INTA), International Association for our interactive website. the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), International Federation of Intellectual Property We will continuously monitor and research the Attorneys (FICPI) and with our funding of Arab globe to provide you with the most complete, NGOs, such as the Arab Society for Intellectual comprehensive and up-to-date information on IP Property (ASIP) and the Licensing Executives laws and regulations. Society-Arab Countries (LES-AC). Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) AGIP has organized and sponsored, in coordination has been meeting the IP needs of distinguished with WIPO, ASIP and WTO, relevant training international clients regionally and globally for for members of the judiciary as well as district more than three decades. Over this period, we attorneys in various Arab countries. AGIP has have grown into a truly international firm. To also provided ASIP with experts to help draft new provide complete coverage of the region, AGIP and better IP laws for a number of Arab states. We has 21 offices throughout the Arab countries, are also proud to have assisted in the publication in addition to India, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, of numerous ground-breaking reference works on Cyprus, China, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Russia. IP in the Arab world, including the compilation of Moreover, to serve our clients on a global level, an English translation of all the Arab IP laws and AGIP has an extensive network of 180 liaison the publishing of a major IP dictionary in Arabic. and correspondent offices worldwide. Our goal is two-fold: to help provide our clients Throughout this growth, AGIP has maintained its the protection their efforts deserve and to help unwavering commitment to its mission of providing further the advancement of the Arab people. To clients with the best quality service available in the this end, we greatly appreciate your continued field of IP protection in the Arab world. business and the relationship we have developed over the last quarter of a century. I assure you that AGIP firmly believes that it is only through we shall continue to do our utmost in providing strong protection of Intellectual Property Rights you with the highest levels of service. (IPRs) the region can truly develop a dynamic and innovative business environment that will Please visit our continually updated website contribute to sustainable economic progress and (www.agip.com), for a wealth of information in development, real growth in the Gross National the IP field. I’m sure you will find it to be a most Product (GNP) and increased social welfare. valuable tool, as you seek the best protection for your work. This commitment to IP protection comes to life as part of the continued involvement with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh AGIP HANDBOOK 2018 | 3 INTRODUCTION Company Profile for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), International Federation of Intellectual Establishment Property Attorneys (FICPI), and through our Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) was funding support of Arab NGOs, such as the Arab established in Kuwait in 1972 under the name of Society for Intellectual Property (ASIP) and the T.M.P Agents at a time when Intellectual Property Licensing Executives Society-Arab Countries (IP) protection was still in its early stages of (LES-AC). development in the Arab region. However, since our launch AGIP has consistently been at the AGIP has organized and sponsored, in coordination forefront of efforts to improve the infrastructure with WIPO, ASIP and WTO relevant training for of IP in the Arab world. members of the judiciary and district attorneys in various Arab countries. AGIP is also proud to have To this end, AGIP has worked in close published numerous ground-breaking reference coordination with Arab governments and works on IP in the Arab world, including the multilateral organizations on introducing an compilation of an English translation of all the efficient IP system that has brought up significant Arab Intellectual Property laws, and publishing changes to the region. of a major Intellectual Property Dictionary. With the new system, major multinational Progress and Technology corporations have been given the confidence to With more than three decades of continuous expand to the region and plan major investments, activity, AGIP now leads the IP field in the as they are now assured that their investments are Middle East serving a broad scope of clients who appropriately protected. In addition, the creative includes the most important firms in the Fortune Arab individuals, such as architects, artists, Global 500. designers, scientists, musicians and writers, are encouraged to render more creations, as their hard We deliver tailored services to all our clients work is properly rewarded and their creations are covering registration, litigation, prosecution, effectively protected. licensing and counseling services related to trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyrights AGIP also assisted and supported governmental and domain names. committees and officials charged in revising and drafting new laws and regulations for the This development in our services kept pace enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights with the expansion in our branches which is (IPRs) in several Arab countries, such as Bahrain, translated into over 21 offices throughout the Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, Tunisia and the United Arab countries; in addition to India, Turkey, Arab Emirates. Pakistan, Iran, Cyprus, Russia, Afghanistan, China and Nigeria, liaison offices in Europe, the This commitment to IP protection has been UK, Canada Hungary and Italy, and a network of reinforced through AGIP’s continued involvement 180 liaison and correspondent offices worldwide. with international organizations, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) We also sought through the continuous training and the World Trade Organization (WTO); with and teaching to build the professional capacities NGOs such as the International Trademark of our employees, and provide them with the Association (INTA), International Association latest technology which helps them in achieving AGIP HANDBOOK 2018 | 4 their work according to the advanced professional owner’s name which will give you a clear image standards, so as to acquire the confidence and of trademark availability, will provide you with respect of clients all over the world. information about similar/ identical trademarks published in certain Arab countries and will Services provide you with the portfolio of a specific Recognized regionally and internationally as owner in a specific country through using highly the top Arab firm in the Intellectual Property sophisticated search strategies. field, Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) adheres to high ethical and professional While the official search in certain national standards, and employs qualified in-house trademark offices could take up to one month and team of professionals as well as state-of-the-art is conducted manually to include identical search technology, so as to provide a comprehensive only, AGIP Data Center electronically offers, at range of IP services tailored to meet our clients’ competitive rates, a comprehensive search that needs, regionally and internationally, including: produces accurate results within 24-48 hours to Trademarks, Patents, Designs and Copyrights include searching for similarity and devices’ marks. Registration Through our TAG IP search, you can have our We cover all of our clients’ Intellectual Property search services online to include 3 types of needs from registration and prosecution to search: (Identical search, Advance search and maintenance, licensing and counseling services professional search). related to trademarks, patents, copyrights and industrial designs and models in all countries of Contact: the world through our long-established global Website: www.agip.com network of associates. E-mail: [email protected], for online search: [email protected] We also provide services related to infringement, counterfeiting, opposition, cancellation and Trademark Watch Service appeal actions. AGIP provides its clients with a Trademark Watch Service by monitoring all published trademarks Search for Published Trademarks resembling its clients’ original trademarks. In case AGIP Data Center offers different kinds of search of any infringing signs, an alert includes detailed services for trademarks published in Official report will be sent to the concerned client. Gazettes to include the following countries: (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait,