Global Business & Development Law Journal Volume 16 | Issue 2 Article 3 1-1-2002 The evelopmeD nt of Modern Trademark Legislation and Protection in Arab Countries of the Middle East Amir H. Khoury Haifa University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/globe Part of the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Amir H. Khoury, The Development of Modern Trademark Legislation and Protection in Arab Countries of the Middle East, 16 Transnat'l Law. 249 (2002). Available at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/globe/vol16/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Law Reviews at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Global Business & Development Law Journal by an authorized editor of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Articles The Development of Modern Trademark Legislation and Protection in Arab Countries of the Middle East Amir H. Khoury* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRO D UCTIO N ............................................................................................. 25 1 II. THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF TRADEMARK LEGISLATION IN ARAB COUNTRIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST ................................................................ 253 A. Surveying Trademark Protection in Arab Countries of the M iddle East ............................................................................................ 253 1. The Arab Republic of Syria .............................................................. 253 a. Definition andType of ProtectableMarks ................................ 255 b. The Application Process............................................................ 256 c. Finality of Acceptance and Registration................................... 257 d. The Implications of Registration............................................... 258 e. Maintenance, Duration, and Renewal of Trademarks............... 259 f Transactionsand ChangesAffecting Trademark R egistrations ............................................................................. 260 g. Infringement of TrademarkRights ............................................ 262 h. R em edies ................................................................................... 262 2. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan................................................. 263 a. Definition andType of ProtectableMarks ................................ 265 b. The Application Process............................................................ 270 c. Finality of Acceptance and Registration................................... 271 d. The Implications of Registration............................................... 272 e. Maintenance,Duration, and Renewal of Trademarks............... 273 f Transactionsand Changes Affecting Trademark R egistrations ............................................................................. 273 g. Infringement of Trademark Rights ............................................ 275 h. Rem edies ................................................................................... 275 * Amir H. Khoury is a Ph.D. candidate, a lecturer at the Haifa University School of Law, and a member of the Israel Bar Association. The author holds an LL.B. degree from the Hebrew University at Jerusalem and a LL.M. degree in International Business and Trade law from Fordham University School of Law (New York City). This research is supported by the Israeli Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport in the framework of the scholarship program for the Israeli Arab students, studying towards the doctorial and postdoctoral degrees. The author extends his sincere appreciation to the Department of Advanced Studies at the Haifa University for its generous financial support throughout his doctoral studies of which this research is a chapter therein. The following work is part of an academic research and should be regarded as such. All the information contained therein is provided as a source of general information on trademarks and other intellectual property issues. This research is not to be regarded as a form of legal advice for one course of action or another, nor is it intended to substitute for professional advise rendered with the full knowledge of the specific circumstances of a given case and proficiency in the laws of the relevant country. 2003 / The Development of Modern TrademarkLegislation 3. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ......................................................... 277 a. Definition andType of ProtectableMarks ................................ 277 b. The Application Process............................................................ 279 c. Finality of Acceptance and Registration ................................... 281 d. The Implications of Registration............................................... 282 e. Maintenance,Duration, and Renewal of Trademarks R egistrations............................................................................. 282 f Transactionsand ChangesAffecting Trademark R egistrations ............................................................................. 283 g. Infringement of TrademarkRights ............................................ 283 h. R em edies ................................................................................... 284 4. The Arab Republic of Egypt ............................................................. 285 a. Definition andType of ProtectableMarks ................................ 287 b. The Application Process............................................................ 288 c. Finality of Acceptance and Registration................................... 289 d. The Implications of Registration............................................... 290 e. Maintenance, Duration,and Renewal of Trademarks............... 291 f Transactionsand Changes Affecting Trademark R egistrations............................................................................. 292 g. Infringement of Trademark Rights ............................................ 292 h. R em edies ................................................................................... 293 C. Trademarks and the Arab Boycott of Israel ........................................... 293 1. Scope of the Boycott and Its Effect on Trademark Registration in the M iddle East ............................................................................ 293 2. The Boycott's Implementation and Fate .......................................... 295 3. InternationalRamifications of the Boycott ...................................... 296 III. ARAB COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND TRADEMARK'S "N EW W ORLD O RDER" ................................................................................ 298 A. Arab Membership in InternationalConventions and Treaties Pertainingto Trademark Protection....................................................... 298 1. Regional Arab Intellectual Property Organizations........................ 299 B. An Overview of the World Trade Organization and the Intellectual P roperty Factor...................................................................................... 300 1. O rigins of the W TO .......................................................................... 300 2. Intellectual Property Within the WTO Framework .......................... 301 3. The Obligations that a WTO Membership Entails........................... 302 4. The WTO Accession Process............................................................ 303 C. Trademark Protection Within the WTO Scheme: TRIPS ........................ 304 1. Setting Minimum Standardsof Protection....................................... 305 2. Enforcement Within National Laws ................................................. 306 3. Settling Disputes Pertainingto Intellectual Property...................... 306 The TransnationalLawyer / Vol. 16 D. WTO Membership of Arab Countries..................................................... 307 1. Egypt's Membership in the WTO ..................................................... 307 2. Jordan'sSuccessful Bid to Join the WTO ........................................ 308 3. Saudi Arabia's Bid to Join the WTO ................................................ 310 4. Syria's Delayed Bid to Join the WTO .............................................. 315 5. Israel'sAccession to the WTO and Compliance with TRIPS ........... 316 IV. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRADEMARK PROTECTION AND ENFORCEMENT IN ARAB COUNTRIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST ................................................. 317 A. The First SubstantialEncounter of Countries in the Middle East with IntellectualProperty Piracy .............................................................. 317 B. The Scope, Type, and Trends of Intellectual Property "Piracy" in the M iddle East .................................................................................. 318 C. JudicialEnforcement of Trademark Protection...................................... 321 1. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan................................................. 321 2. The Arab Republic of Egypt ............................................................. 324 3. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ......................................................... 325 4. The Arab Republic of Syria.............................................................. 326 D. Administrative Enforcement of Trademark Protection........................... 327 1. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan................................................. 327 2. The Arab Republic of Egypt