Registration of industrial designs in the UAE – Every company that owns an industrial design and intends to expand its business in the UAE market should use the UAE intellectual property system. It is paramount for businesses to file an industrial design application in the UAE for industrial designs, even if the launch of the respective product on the market in the UAE has not yet commenced.
Requirements for Industrial Design Registration Application in the UAE
An industrial design application in the UAE requesting the right of priority must be filed within 6 months from the priority date.
The official languages of the proceedings before the patent office are Arabic and English.
The following information and documents need to be provided in the application for registration of an industrial design in the UAE:
- name, address, and nationality of the applicant, business address;
- request for design registration;
- two copies of the design (if two-dimensional) or two copies of each view (if three-dimensional).
Within 90 days after the filing date, a certified copy of the Arabic and English translations and the Priority Document must be provided.
Within 90 days after the filing date, an original Power of Attorney that has been notarized must be provided. It is not necessary to legalize this document.
If the applicant is not the designer, then a notarized Deed of Assignment from the designer(s) to the applicant must be provided within 90 days from the filing date. It is not necessary to legalize this document.
A notarized certificate of incorporation or articles of incorporation must be provided within 90 days after the filing date if the applicant is a corporate body. It is not necessary to legalize this document.
Examination of an Industrial Design Application in the UAE
In the UAE, industrial designs have to undergo a formal examination. Industrial designs are not subjected to substantive examination. Publication fees must be paid within the time frame (often two months) stipulated in the notification issued by the Patent Office confirming their official acceptance of the application.
Validity period and renewal of industrial designs in the UAE
If the designer or the person who directly or indirectly acquired information from the designer disclosed the information within 12 months before the filing date or the claimed priority date, this does not invalidate the novelty of the industrial design.
There is no specified grant fee for registering a design in the United Arab Emirates. In the United Arab Emirates, an industrial design is valid for ten years after the filing date. Starting with the year after the filing date, annual maintenance costs are required. Requests for any number of annuities may be submitted at any time on or before the due date. The request may still be submitted up to three months after the deadline without incurring a cost and up to six months after the deadline with the payment of a late fee.
If everything goes as planned, the registration procedure will take between 1-2 years.
Represented by an industrial design registration attorney
An international applicant for an industrial design registration in the UAE should perform an industrial design search in the UAE through a law firm, or an industrial design attorney.
You can find the list of UAE IP Firm here.
