Registration of a trademark is one of the important aspects to business because they help companies to establish their product’s reputation and prevent competitors from diminishing their reputation or profit by deceiving the consumer. Trademarks include words, names, symbols, and logos. Anything that distinctly identifies your company or product can be a trademark. As more business and brands trying to expand their business in UAE, it is important to understand the procedures involved in registering a trademark in UAE.
Importance of trademark registration
Trademark registration is valuable to business for multiple reasons some of them are:
- Distinguish your product or services: Trademarks enable consumers to identify a business’ products or services and distinguish them from competitors
- Protect your brand: A registered trademark provides protection by ensuring that it can only be used exclusively by that owner of a trademark
- An effective marketing tool: Trademarks can be an effective marketing tool for businesses wishing to establish their presence in a new market
- Increase business value trademarks are intangible assets that can drastically increase the value of a business.
- Authorize another person to use the trademark in return for a licensing fee.
- Filing a case if someone in the UAE who copies a trademark or uses it without authorized permission
Procedures for registration of a trademark
The registration of Trademark in UAE goes through the following process:
Trademark search
Carry out comprehensive research to ensure that there is no conflict associated with your proposed trademark. This essentially helps you determine if your application will have chances for success. This step is highly recommended before any trademark application is filed in the UAE.
Filing of trademark
Upon completion of a successful trademark search, the application for registration of a trademark can be submitted to the trademark registry mentioning the appropriate trademark class along with other required documents.
Publication in the trademark journal
Once the application is submitted, the trademark under registration will be advertised in the official trademark journals.
Publications in newspapers
The Trademark also needs to be published in two local Arabic newspapers. Any interested party may file a notice of opposition to the registered trademark within prescribed days from the date of publication. The registration process will begin if there are no oppositions after the publication.
Registration fee
In case no opposition is lodged within the time limit as per trademark act, a trademark is registered by paying the registration fee and a certificate of registration is issued.
Who can register a trademark?
- UAE citizens natural or artificial person practicing any commercial, industrial, professional or any other services.
- Foreigners citizens natural or artificial person practicing any commercial, industrial, professional or any other services.
- Other artificial persons.
Key considerations:
If you consider a few points mentioned below for registering the trademark:
- The trademark should be distinctive.
- Not to be offensive of any morals or religion.
- Not to contain any false statement.
- It should not contain any public symbols or flags.
- It should not contain any symbol of religious characters.
- It should not contain the names of a third party.
HHS lawyers and legal consultants provide a high degree of specialization in Registration of trademarks. We have a team of expert for managing the intellectual property laws for many clients. For further information please contact us.
