The UAE Patent Backlog (July 2010)
The UAE Patent Office is currently facing the challenge of clearing the backlog of pending patent and the design applications filed in the UAE.

Libya – Developments in the IP law regime (July 2010)

Issuance of first trademark registration certificates: The Libyan Trademark Office has just issued the first registration certificate in 30 years.

New Plant Varieties Law in the United Arab Emirates (June 2010)

In a new development to the Intellectual Property system in the United Arab Emirates, a new federal law in respect of the protection of plant varieties and plant breeders’ rights has recently been issued. Law No. (17) of 2009 entered into force on January 14th, 2010.

Jordan: Downward revision of official trade mark fees (June 2010)

In a previous issue of Law Update we reported on tremendous official fee increases for trade mark matters in Jordan.

Reliance on Electronic Signatures and Secure Electronic Signatures under the UAE Law (June 2010)

“A signature is a stylised script associated with a person. It is comparable to a seal. In commerce and the law, a signature on a document is an indication that the person adopts the intentions recorded in the document.

Enforcing IP Rights at Trade Fairs in Dubai (June 2010)

Trade exhibitions enable companies to showcase their offerings in forums where others interested in the same industries are guaranteed to congregate.

Incentivising Innovation: Patents - Lubricating the wheels of commerce (June 2010)

Throughout history, people have looked for better ways to meet their needs and to satisfy their expectations.

Brands Hitting The Rough (May 2010)

Tiger Woods, Goldman Sachs … Some mighty brands have hit the rough recently, with resulting speculation as to how this type of publicity has impacted on the commercial value of the brands.

Bahrain – Industrial Designs – New Implementing Regulations (May 2010)

The Implementing Regulations for Industrial Drawings & Designs Law No. 6 of 2006 have been issued in Bahrain with immediate effect from 25th February 2010.

Promising Improvements in Handling of IP Cases by Dubai Customs (May 2010)

In a recent case, Dubai Customs demonstrated its willingness to report counterfeit products, accept official complaints on behalf of IP owners, rule on case merits and destroy counterfeit goods.

Special 301 Watch List : Saudi Arabia celebrates with clean scorecard in 2010 (April 2010)

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has recognised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (“KSA”) progress in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights by removing KSA from the Special 301 Watch List.

Employers: protecting valuable IP created by employees (April 2010)

Managers responsible for ensuring that an organisation’s intellectual property rights are protected often believe that the organisation automatically owns all intellectual property rights arising from the work of its employees.

The Ministerial Resolution No (66) of 2010 with respect to the amendment of Ministerial Resolution No (541) of 2009  (April 2010)

In the January 2010 issue of the Law Update we advised that the Ministry of Economy’s Trademark Office had amended Federal Law No. 1 of 1972 wherein, Applicants of trademarks were required to pay the publication fee of AED 500 and the registration fee of AED 5,000 simultaneously within 30 days of the acceptance of a trademark.

Overlapping IP Rights (April 2010)

A UAE based company comes up with a new bottle design for their shampoo product. Is the bottle design protected by the laws governing: (a) trademark; (b) patent; (c) copyright; (d) trade secret, or is it (e) all of the above?

Tunisia: IPR Prosecution Procedures Facilitated (March 2010)

With a view to facilitate trademark, patent and design prosecution in the country, the Tunisian Industrial Property Office brought in the following procedural changes with effect from 1st January 2010:

Syria: Increase in Official Publication Fees (March 2010)

There has been a substantial increase in the official fees for publication in respect of registration and renewal of trademarks and industrial designs in Syria.

Value and sports sponsorships (March 2010)

Any manufacturer, distributor or retailer who wants to sell a product or service knows that association with a successful athlete, team or sports event will help to sell what is being offered and build its brand reputation.

Compulsory Licensing of Pharmaceutical Patents (February 2010)

Patents have played a significant role in the tremendous growth of research and development in the pharmaceutical industry.

The GCC patent system (February 2010)

The GCC tent system provides a convenient way for applicants to secure patent rights effective in each of the GCC member states.

“Music to My Ears”, but to whom should I pay the royalties? (February 2010)

The intellectual property rights in a musical work exist from the time it is created, and also at the time it is commercially exploited.

JETRO Seminar on anti-counterfeiting in the UAE and Saudi Arabia (January 2010)
The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) recently invited Al Tamimi & Company to Tokyo to speak on anti-counterfeiting in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

New regulations for patent matters in Oman (January 2010)

The Omani Patent Office recently issued an administrative decision which addresses three issues: substantive examination, annuity payments and the term of patent protection in Oman.

UAE Trademarks Section Imposes Advancement of Registration Fees (January 2010)

The Minister of Economy issued a decree in November 2009 reviewing Federal Law No. 1 of 1972 concerning the Authorities of Ministries and Powers of Ministers.

MEED Healthcare Project Conference 2009 (December 2009)

Omar Obeidat, Partner at Al Tamimi & Company, recently appeared as a speaker and panelist at the MEED Healthcare Projects Conference 2009, held at theWestin Hotel in Dubai.

Securitising Intellectual Property Rights (December 2009)

Many years ago the essence of wealth laid in the tangible properties a company possesses. Nowadays the essence of wealth lies increasingly in intangible assets such as trade names, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, industrial designs, and trademarks.

Amendment to Syrian intellectual property law (December 2009)

Syria has recently enacted a new Legislative Decree No. 47 of 2009 which amends articles 44 and 45 of the Trademarks, Geographical Signs and Industrial Drawing and Models Law (No. 8/2007).

Beware the Troll! Allegations of patent infringement (December 2009)

From time to time we are approached by clients who have received letters from lawyers, often US-based, alleging patent infringement and threatening court proceedings.

2nd Annual Corporate Legal Counsel Forum (November 2009)

On the 11th and 12th of October Marie Grace Seif, Associate and  Omar Obeidat, Partner at Al Tamimi & Company attended the 2nd Annual Corporate Legal Counsel Forum held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai.

International Crackdown on Tax Havens The Impact on the UAE (November 2009)

On the Hunt for Tax Dodgers :With the onset of the global financial crisis, many governments around the world have been forced to increase spending in an attempt to prevent the crisis from escalating.

Controlling parallel importation of genuine goods into the UAE (November 2009)

The issue of counterfeit goods arriving in the UAE, or passing through the transport hub of Dubai, is a major concern for many businesses.

The Structure of Patent Documents, and Particular Points to Note for the UAE (September/October 2009)

Broadly speaking, a patent application comprises an Abstract, the Patent Specification and the Claims. In this article, we provide some basic background on these component parts, along with more specific detail relating to UAE practice for patent applications.

Managing an IP Portfolio in the Middle East (September/October 2009)

More companies based in the Middle East are becoming familiar with intellectual property and the potential it has to increase the value and competitive advantage of their businesses. More companies based outside the Middle East are investing and capitalising on business opportunities within this swiftly developing region.

New Court to Hear Media Cases in Abu Dhabi (June 2009)
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, has recently announced a decision to establish specialised public prosecution and judicial departments for media-related cases in the Emirate.

Government Entities and Protection of Intellectual Property (June 2009)
The UAE Government, consistent with its membership of the World Trade Organisation, has adopted intellectual property measures in the UAE in line with international best practise.

New Egypt Patent Regulation (June 2009)
The Egypt Patent Office has now amended its laws regarding calculation of the protection period and the due dates for annuity payment to adhere to the PCT.

The Ethics of Disposing of E-Waste (June 2009)
In spite of the present economic climate, which is widely viewed by many prominent economists as the worst recession in the post-war era, the general public’s voracious appetite for the latest technology gadgets appears to be unaffected, as evidenced by a report from Apple Inc claiming its net profit has jumped 15 percent in the same quarter versus a year ago.

Why Register Trademarks Internationally? (May 2009)

Given the current global economic crisis, the Madrid system for the international registration of trademarks attracts particular importance for being cost effective and simple in procedure when it comes to registering trademarks internationally.

Google's AdWords - Use of third party trademarks in commerce? (April 2009)

The fundamental premise of trademark law must be that the registration of a trademark confers on the proprietor of the mark the right to the exclusive use of the mark in respect of the goods and services in relation to which the mark had been registered.

A Tale of Two Systems (April 2009)

Comparing the Civil Law Author’s Right System with the Common Law Copyright System

Judgement Against Trafficking of Counterfeit Goods (March 2009)

Expedited Summary Judgement issued by Fujairah First Instance Court against trafficking of counterfeit goods to the UAE territory

New Intellectual Property Legislation in Iran (March 2009)

The new Iran "Patent, Industrial Designs and Trademarks" law effect on 10th March 2009, 15 days from publication of the Regulations on 23rd February 2009. By way of background, Iran is a signatory to the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention) and the Madrid Agreement and Protocol.

Protection of Related Rights in Lebanon (March 2009)

This articles takes a look at the variety of protection of related rights in Lebanon.

Anti-counterfeiting provisions in Egypt (February 2009)

As one of the major business and shipping hubs of the Middle East, Egypt stands as a vulnerable environment for counterfeit goods.

Domain Name Disputes (February 2009)

The late 1990s saw individuals and corporations competing against each other to register choice domain names, spending millions and sparking chaos and controversy in the process. Recognising the need to regulate this new realm, the US Department of Commerce created ICANN, the (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which established a mandatory dispute resolution policy for administering domain name conflicts.

You Tube's Terms of Use (January 2009)

It is likely that you have visited the You Tube website many times. However, it's unlikely that you have ever read the Terms of Use of the website. Section 8 "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" is a section of the Terms of Use which is worth noting.

The Business and the Value of Intellectual Property (January 2009)

The article discusses intellectual property rights and their value and importance as assets of a company.

GCC Trademarks Law Resolves Uncertainty Over Use By Licensee (December 2008)

The implementation of the GCC Trademarks Act, when it comes into effect, shall clarify the status of unrecorded license agreements and provide an adequate resolution to several controversial issues in the UAE Trademarks regime.

Protection of Copyrights and Related Rights in Egypt (December 2008)

This article takes a look at Egypt's copyright law.

Are Co-existence Agreements the Best Solution for Trademark Disputes? (December 2008)

The validity of a co-existence agreement may be challenged, if the agreement concerns trademarks that may cause confusion to consumers and where this confusion may lead to harm.