GCC: Patent Office is no longer accepting new patent applications GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL On January 5, 2021, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Patent Office announced informally that it was no longer accepting new patent applications as of January 6, 2021. The announcement came as a surprise, as the GCC Patent Office has been acting as a regional office for obtaining patent protection in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (the GCC Member States) for more than 20 years. No formal communication has taken place yet, so we are awaiting further details regarding this situation. For now, it seems the GCC Patent Office Meanwhile, for new applications, our will continue being responsible for recommendation is to file a patent prosecution and grant of pending application in each of the individual applications and for granted patents. GCC Member States of interest, either However, there is no information yet through a Paris Convention application about the possibility of filing divisional within the 12 month priority period, or patents or whether any changes will via national phase entry within the 30 take place in examination procedures. month priority period using the Patent More specific information will be Cooperation Treaty (PCT). available once the amended law becomes published. We will be providing further details as new information is made available. Europe | U.S.A. | Argentina | Brazil | Mexico Disclaimer: Please note that the present communication is of a general nature. It is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. No warranty of any kind is given with respect to the subject matter included herein or the completeness or accuracy of this note and no responsibility is assumed for any actions (or lack thereof) taken as a result of relying on or P 1 / 1 in any way using information contained in this note. In no event shall we be liable for any damages resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Any analysis regarding or related to the developments indicated above needs to be applied to a case in particular and consulted or verified with local counsel in each jurisdiction. .