Intellectual Property Newsletter - June 2015

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA REGION

The start of the holy month of Ramadan on or around 18 June 2015 will signal a month of fasting by Muslims during daylight hours (from dawn to sunset).

During this period, many countries in the Middle East will operate shorter working hours, including in many government offices. Intellectual property rights owners with an interest in the region should be aware that many of the Trade Mark and Patent Offices in the region will close earlier in the day than normal, which can have an impact on last minute filings.

In this edition of our newsletter, we look at Arabic branding and consider how this can assist brand owners in building brand equity, consumer recognition and with enforcement issues.

In addition, we report on a number of key market updates from around the region, including news that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have conducted raids to seize counterfeit goods worth millions of US dollars.

Arabic branding

Saba Al Sultani considers the benefits that Arabic language branding can provide for international brand owners.

Market updates from around the region

For further information, please speak to your usual contact in the Clyde & Co IP team, or email us at ip@clydeco.com.

UAE Trade Mark Gazette

The latest edition of the UAE Trade Mark Gazette was published on 1 June 2015. This month's opposition deadline is 30 June 2015.

If you identify any marks that are of potential concern, or if you have any queries, then speak to your usual contact in the Clyde & Co IP team, or email us at ip@clydeco.com.

The timeframe for arranging the legalisation of a Power of Attorney (which will need to be filed at the same time as any opposition) is generally around three weeks. With this in mind, please contact us as soon as possible if you identify any marks which you may wish to oppose.

MARKET UPDATES

ARABIC BRANDING

By Saba Al Sultani, Associate and Rob Deans, Partner

Introduction

The Middle East and, in particular, the Arabian Gulf region has long been an attractive market for international brand owners. As the region continues to experience economic growth, the interest from international brand owners also continues to rise. With this increasing interest, the need to adequately protect their IP rights in the region remains an issue of core importance to brand owners.

Despite there being a large number of English speakers within the Middle East, Arabic remains the first language across the region. Accordingly, it is important for international brand owners to give careful consideration to the registration of Arabic versions of their trade marks, through either translating or transliterating the original marks in order to reflect their use in local markets.

However, with the cost of securing trade mark registrations in the Middle East being among the highest worldwide, careful assessment of how best to focus resources is...