Riyadh— The Saudi Council of Ministers has recently greenlit crucial amendments to the Patents, Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs law. Effective as of September 25, 2023, through Royal Decree No. (M/45) dated 10/03/1445 AH, these modifications mark a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s intellectual property landscape.

The key changes are as follows:

  1. Incorporation of Hague Agreement and Organization Definitions: The definition of the Hague Agreement and Organization has been included in Article (2) of the system. The Hague Agreement pertains to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs of 1999, while the Organization refers to The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
  2. Adjustment of Annual Fees for Protection: Amendment of Article (Eighteen) mandates that annual fees for protection applications or documents must be paid at the outset of each year following the application filing date. However, an exception is made for international industrial models filed under the Hague Agreement, where fees will be collected every five years from the date of filing.
  3. Extension of Protection Period: Paragraph (d) of Article (nineteen) of the patent law now stipulates that the protection period for an industrial model certificate is extended to fifteen years from the date of application.
  4. Introduction of Article 60 bis: A new addition to the patent law, Article 60 bis, emphasizes that international applications for the registration of industrial designs will be treated in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Agreement and its Regulations. Furthermore, industrial designs registered under the Hague Convention will be afforded the same rights as industrial models registered under the Saudi patent system.

The implementing Regulations of the law will soon be revised to incorporate these changes. This transformative step aligns Saudi Arabia’s intellectual property framework with global standards, ensuring robust protection for innovation and creativity within the country.

For more information, contact info@miss-ip.com.