Important updates
And industry news
Yemen Adopts 10th Edition of Nice Classification
The General Department for Intellectual Property Protection at Yemen’s Ministry of Industry and Trade in Sana’a adopted the 10th edition of the Nice Classification of Goods and Services, effective as of 19 August 2023. While certain trade marks may still be open to...
Saudi IPO Waives Local Legalization Requirement for Apostille Documents
Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Hague Convention in December 2022 aimed to abolish the requirement for legalization of foreign documents – an apostille issued by the state of origin was supposed to remove the need for further certification by the destination state....
Leading African IP Firm Hahn & Hahn Joins CWB-PETOŠEVIĆ Merger
Hahn & Hahn, an intellectual property firm headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa and providing a full suite of IP services across the entire African continent, has joined the Gulf Capital-backed CWB-PETOŠEVIĆ merger, a super-regional firm servicing and managing...
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Saudi IPO to Serve as ISA, IPEA under PCT
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently announced the appointment of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and an International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent...
Saudi IPO Calls for Inclusion of Arabic in Hague and Madrid Systems
The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) recently advocated for the inclusion of Arabic language in WIPO’s Madrid and Hague systems. The recommendation was made by the SAIP's CEO, Abdulaziz Al Suwailem at a WIPO meeting held in Geneva on 7 July 2023....
Trade Mark Oppositions in Tunisia: Notes from a Recent Case
CWB recently obtained a positive decision in Tunisia for a major fashion business, resulting in the final rejection of a ‘pirate’ trade mark application. Brand owners should be aware that opposition proceedings in Tunisia are fairly nuanced: oppositions are filed at...
GCC Patent Office Now Accepting Patent Applications for Qatar
The Gulf Cooperation Council Patent Office (GCCPO) has officially started accepting patent applications for Qatar, starting from 1 July 2023. Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar’s applications are also handled through the GCCPO. The remaining GCC members, Oman, Saudi Arabia and...