Unified trademark law for GCC has pros and cons

Since 2007, there have been significant talks between members of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) about adopting a unified trademark law. This article will look at key elements of the GCC Unified Trademark Law.

The main focus of the GCC trademark law is to create uniformity between the local trademark laws of the GCC member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). The GCC trademark will establish a more unified set of regulations for trademark protection in GCC states, but it is important to point out that the GCC trademark law will not provide a unified filing system. Rights holders are still required to file separately in each GCC country in order to ensure protection and enforcement.

Key features

Trademark definition and multi-class applications. To continue from recent developments and the introduction of new technology that allows rights holders to identify their brands through means other than as conventional trademarks, the GCC Unified Trademark Law has broadened its definition of trademarks to include non-traditional trademarks, such as sounds and smells.