Bahrain is a country in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain has one of the fastest-growing economies in the Arab world. Therefore, many businesses want to expand their activities into this market and one of the most important processes before entering a market is to register and own a unique trademark here in Bahrain. Owning a trademark in Bahrain grants the owner exclusive right to their trademark, including the exploitation of the mark for commercial purposes, the licensing of the mark for third parties, and most importantly, the right to prevent others from using the mark without prior permission.
Necessary documents for trademark registration in Bahrain
- A soft copy of the trademark in the form of a JPEG.
- An authorized Power of Attorney (POA) signed by the applicant of the trademark. It must be approved by a Notary Public and legalized in Bahrain or any other Arab consulate in the applicant’s country.
- A finished trademark search or registration order form along with goods and services listed within the limit of 6 lines.
- A certified copy of the priority document when it was claimed.
- A certified copy of the home registration or any foreign registration of the trademark (except banned or boycotted countries).
In the event of unavailability of the registration certificate, one of these documents can be used:
- Certificate of incorporation of the applicant’s company.
- Certificate issued by the Registrar of Companies.
- Extract of the entry of the applicant company in the Commercial Register.
- Certificate issued by the Chamber of Commerce.
These options must be legalized.
Trademark registration procedures in Bahrain
In Bahrain, the procedure for trademark registration varies depended on whether the applicants are nationals or foreigners. If the applicants are Bahraini nationals, they can submit their trademark application to the Trademark Office at the Industrial Property Directorate, Bahrain.
If the applicants are foreigners and non-residents who are not staying in Bahrain, they can carry forward the process of a trademark registration by applying through Intellectual Property Agents or authorized law firms assigned by the Industrial Property Directorate, Bahrain.
The protection period for trademark registration in Bahrain
In Bahrain, the protection period of a trademark is 10 years from the application date. The owner may also file for renewal during the last year before the protection period ends. There is also a 6 months grace period after the deadline of the protection period. The trademark owner can pay the fee for the corresponding additional charge to renew their trademark protection period during this time.
The entire procedure of trademark registration takes about approximately 6 months to complete if no issues occurred during the process.
Moreover, the trademark may face cancellation in case the trademark has been inactive for five years from the date of registration.
Trademark e-Services in Bahrain
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism of Bahrain (MOIC) has started an online portal for moving ahead and registering a trademark or patent. Trademark e-Services enable online submission of the application of trademarks for Bahraini citizens, residents, and legally authorized agents registered with the Industrial Property Directorate. In addition, the portal provides the filing of an objection against the acceptance of a Trademark application or complaint against the refusal of a Trademark application.
You can find a list of Bahrain IP firms here.