Are you planning to form a company in Dubai or any other free zone areas or anywhere in the UAE? If so, a lot of things you need to take into accounts such as deciding the legal structure of your establishment, forming a relationship with a local partner, and applying for the relevant trade license and business permits. You need to put forward an application to the Ministry of Economy & Commerce. One crucial element is that all the details in the application form need to be filled in Arabic and place as many as 14 specimen drawings of each of the marks.
Any locally licensed law firm in Dubai can help you with the application filing process for trademark registration, UAE. Here, in this article, you can catch a glimpse of some of the important procedures that you need to move across while registering a trademark. Read on to know what the trademark is, the process of trademark registration in UAE, and why doing so can be vital to the success of your business. Let’s begin with what trademark is.
Trademark
This refers to any symbol, name, word, design, mark, figure, signatures, logo or even sounds if they used to specify that the products or services belong to the business. Trademark is used by a manufacturer or merchant to differentiate their businesses from their competitors as well as other businesses. According to their classes, there are more than forty classes in total, categorizing a range of goods and services.
Trademarks in the UAE
In the United Arab Emirates, trademarks are no mandatory for businesses. Although the profits of trademark registration usually compensate the price of not doing so and certainly regulator processes do need the registration of a Trademark.
As said earlier, trademarks are registered in the UAE with the UAE Ministry of Economy. So you need to submit your application. Once the application is approved, it is protected in seven emirates. These seven emirates are:
- Dubai
- Abu Dhabi
- Ras Al Khaimah
- Ajman
- Fujairah
- Sharjah
- Umm Al Quwain
It is important to keep in mind that any intellectual property rights registered with a trademark certificate in the UAE are null and void outside of the country.
How to register a Trademark in the UAE?
The best way is to consult a leading law firm in Dubai that provides this service. A professional lawyer specializes in forming a business in the UAE. He or she can guide you through all the registration process of the trademark and make sure that the entire process handled quickly and efficiently.
Here the steps you need to follow for registering a trademark in the country.
Eligibility
Keep in mind that not all trademarks can be registered as trademarks in the country. It’s therefore important to make sure that your trademark is eligible for protection in the seven emirates.
No Conflict
Make sure there is no conflict in regards to your proposed trademark. Carry out comprehensive research to ensure this.
Relevancy
It’s also crucial to be sure the correct class of the trademark. Your trademark should correctly represent the goods or services that are vital to your business.
Payment
Apply for your trademark with the UAE Ministry of Economy (UAE Patent Office). Once you submit it successfully, you have thirty days to pay the publication fee.
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You can advertise your trademark in the official trademark journals. In case, there are no objections after the publication, then the registration process can begin.
Time
In general, the entire process of trademark registration takes 18 and 24 months. Once approved, the registration is valid for ten years. After ten years, you will need to renew it.
Document
To register a trademark in the UAE, you need to have the following documents:
- A sample of the trademark design
- Passport and Power of Attorney of the business owner
- UAE Trade Licence
- A list of the goods and services to be protected
Recommendation
Registration a trademark in the UAE is not an easy task. So, it’s advisable to look out for a reputable law firm in the city. This will help you speed up the process and clean pots.
