Oman Adopts the GCC Trademark Law

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Trademark Law was issued in Oman on July 25^th, 2017 with immediate effect after publication. However, Oman has not published the Implementing Regulations, and official fees are anticipated to increase once the regulations are issued.

The GCC Trademark Law has been fully adopted by Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia since the Implementing Regulations have been issued. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are the two GCC countries that are yet to implement the GCC Trademark law.

The GCC Trademark Law is expected to eventually complement stipulations throughout all the GCC countries concerning enforcement and prosecution of trademark rights. The law does not offer a unitary trademark system of registration. Hence the GCC countries will require individual trademark registrations.

Features of the GCC Trademark Law in Oman:

Trademark registrations have a validity of 10 years from the date of filing. They are also renewable for similar periods, with a grace period of six months for late renewals.
Penalties for trademark violation have increased. Fines can range from OMR 100 (USD 260) to as high as OMR 100,000 (USD 260,000), including imprisonment from one month up to three years.
Trademark applications acknowledged by the Registrar will be published for opposition purposes. The GCC Trademark Law grants a period of 60 days from the date of publication. The current opposition period in Oman is 90 days.
The timeline for examining trademark applications is 90 days from the filing date according to Article (6) of the GCC Trademarks Law’s Implementing Regulations. The extended period is for candidates to prepare the requested documents or apply any conditions required by the Trademarks Office.
If the trademark is not used for five successive years after registration, the trademark is susceptible to cancellation by any interested party.
The Trademark Law acknowledges well-known trademarks in the GCC countries and will ensure its protection even if the marks are not registered.

The GCC Trademarks Law provides a unified trademarks law that allows appropriate holders to benefit from the same level of protection across the GCC countries. It will set out a single set of provisions concerning the enforcement and registration of trademarks rights in all GCC countries. This will aid them to manage their portfolios in the region.