Patent registration in Qatar. Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. In the 21st century, Qatar emerged as a significant power in the Arab world through its resource wealth, as well as its globally expanding media group. For its size, Qatar wields disproportionate influence in the world and has been identified as a middle power. 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 Qatar.
Patent in Qatar
According to Qatar law, a patent in Qatar 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 Qatar, 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 Qatar 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 Qatar
The necessary documents for patent registration in Qatar 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.
The procedure for patent registration in Qatar
To obtain a patent in Qatar, the applicant needs to file their patent application to the IP Office of Qatar.
Previously, there was no patent law in Qatar. To protect their rights, the citizens can only publish cautionary notices in both Arabic and English language.
This notice doesn’t have any legal effects on the registration of the invention. Nonetheless, it might serve as proof against potential infringement in the future.
Nowadays, as part of the efforts made by the Qatar Government such as when The Ministry of Economy and Commerce announced the launch of an electronic service for patent registration, Qatar is now ready for the service of patent registration.
With the electronic patent registration system, the applicant can register their invention to be patent protected if all conditions for protection are met.
When they log in to the system, the applicant needs to choose whether to file the application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) or the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
Once the application is submitted, the formal examination process for the patent application starts.
If there are errors detected, the application might be sent back to the applicant for modification and supplement.
Once the formal examination is conducted successfully and the applicant has paid the registration fees and the maintenance fees of the first and second year, the applicant is awarded an application number QA.
With this, the applicant will now have the right to manufacture, waive, license and sell the invention while awaiting the patent issuance.
You can see a list of Qatar IP firms here.