GCC to create unified trademark law

Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) General Secretariat unveiled plans to open a unified regional office for the registration of trade marks from member countries.

"The secretariat is working out a unified law for registration of trademarks. This would lead to open a regional office to carry out the registration procedures," said a bulletin issued by the General Secretariat on the sidelines of a workshop organised by the Office of Patent on Inventions, in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

"The new initiative will be a major milestone in realising joint work among the GCC States toward protection of intellectual property rights," the secretariat pointed out.

The workshop reviewed a number of major international agreements on patents, including the Paris Accord for the Protection of Intellectual Property, Patent Law Agreement and Budapest Convention besides cooperation agreements on patent. The workshop also dealt with the need for establishing a National Patent Office.

The fact Saudi Arabia is implementing a trademark law is being regarded as a step in the right direction.

The law outlines almost all the issues relating to trade marks, including its registration procedures and rights of trade mark holders.

The number of trademarks registered at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry reached 2,385 last year.