Book an appointment with us, or search the directory to find the right lawyer for you directly through the app.
Find out moreThis comprehensive guide is designed to help you navigate the intricate landscape of family business and private wealth in the Middle East, where family businesses constitute approximately 60% of GDP and employ 80% of the workforce in the GCC, offering unparalleled opportunities for wealth creation and preservation.
Packed with insights, strategies, and expert advice from our talented lawyers, Legacy provides tailored solutions to the unique challenges of asset protection, succession planning, and dispute resolution in this dynamic region.Read the publication and equip yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive, whether you’re a seasoned investor, a family business owner, part of the next generation, or a newcomer exploring opportunities in the region.
Read NowTarek Abu Mariam - Senior Associate - Corporate / Mergers and Acquisitions / Intellectual Property
April 2013
Unfortunately these procedures have not been available to prospective applications during the past years for many reasons, including the lack of the necessary competencies to carry out the examinations.
In the past, the Patent Office would accept applications and provide filing receipts, but no further action was taken in respect of such applications. The result was that prospective applicants started excluding Kuwait from their protection strategies and more importantly business models related to key inventions. The risks associate with the infringement of key patents in Kuwait resulting from the absence of adequate protection for patents and the ability to prevent such infringement became a critical risk factor for assessment in deciding whether to enter the Kuwaiti market for certain business.
This situation has changed to some extent and the good news is that the Kuwaiti Patent Office has started examining industrial design applications and publishing them for opposition purposes. Once the period of opposition expires, the Patent Office will issue a registration certificate in compliance with the above mentioned law.
It is hoped that this is a possible first step for the Kuwaiti Patent Office to begin the examination of patents and complete the registration process for the grant of patent protection in the state of Kuwait. Many countries have cooperated well with the European Patent Office (EPO), United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in respect of the functioning of their patent systems and collaboration with these offices may also be valuable to the Kuwaiti Government to ensure that Kuwait’s patent system becomes fully functional.
The next important question for design right owners is going to be how effective the enforcement of design rights will be in Kuwait.
To learn more about our services and get the latest legal insights from across the Middle East and North Africa region, click on the link below.