Patent registration in Oman. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. By regional standards, Oman has a relatively diversified economy. Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in Oman. Other sources of income, agriculture, and industry are small in comparison and account for less than 1% of the country’s exports, but diversification is seen as a priority by the government. Accordingly, many businesses want to enter this market and one of the most important preparations a business needs to take before expanding to this country is to learn the procedure of patent registration in Oman.
Patent in Oman
According to Oman Law, a patent in Oman is a grant of a property right given by the Government to an inventor. With a patent, the inventor, or the patentee will have the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling the invention in a country, or importing the invention into a country, along with other rights to protect their best interests.
To be patentable in Oman, an invention must satisfy the new, nonobvious, inventive, and industrially applicable requirements.
In addition, an invention that is patentable can also be an improvement on existing items or methods.
On the other hand, the unpatentable subjects in Oman are:
- Discoveries, laws of nature, and mathematical methods;
- Aesthetic designs;
- Systems, rules, and methods for the performance of mental labor, games or management, computer programs;
- Presentation of data and abstract ideas.
Necessary documents for patent registration in Oman
The necessary documents for patent registration in Oman include:
- The request to grant a patent (patent application);
- Detailed information on the applicant(s) including the applicant’s and inventor’s names, addresses, citizenships, etc.;
- A description of the invention;
- A signed and stamped power of attorney by the applicant(s);
- A copy of the amendments (if any);
- Priority documents (if any).
- Other required documents.
Some of the documents may not be filed at the same time as the filing of the official application. However, all documents should be submitted within 3 months from the filing date as well as the translation into Arabic of the necessary documents.
The procedure of patent registration in Oman
To obtain a patent in Oman, the applicant needs to submit the patent application to the IP Office of Oman (Ministry of Commerce and Industry – MOCI.
The patent application must be in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in the executive regulations for the IP law.
After, the patent application will be examined by the IP Office to check if it is patentable according to the law.
If there are errors, the Office will allow the applicant to make amendments or supplements to the application.
The patent application will then be published in the Official Gazette. Any third parties will have 90 days to oppose the registration of the invention. If there is opposition, the department will decide whether to accept or reject the application after hearing the claims and reasons from both sides.
If all procedures are completed, the patent will be granted and will have a 20 years validity period.
Filing through the PCT
As Oman is a party to the PCT, the applicant can choose to file one international patent application under the PCT to simultaneously seek protection in other countries that are party to the PCT system.
You can see a list of Oman IP firms here.