Trademark 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 trademark registration in Oman.
Necessary documents for trademark registration in Oman
Necessary documents for trademark registration in Oman include:
- Detailed information of the applicant (name, address, nationality, etc.);
- List of goods and/or services along with the Nice Classification;
- A description of the mark;
- A soft copy of the proposed trademark;
- A power of attorney from the country of origin and notarised by the Omani embassy;
- Priority documents (If any);
- Other required documents.
Besides the normal forbidden elements in trademark application in general in the entire world, the applicant should also check and take into consideration the Oman Law to check if the mark complies with the requirement in this country.
Specifically, the trademark should not go against the policies and morals of the country.
The procedure of trademark registration in Oman
To obtain trademark protection in Oman, the applicant needs to submit the trademark application to the Department of Intellectual Property Department (‘IP Department’) at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The examiner will examine the trademark application to check if the mark is distinctive from other trademarks in terms of shape, colors, and symbols used and the trademark is not descriptive.
If there are errors detected in the application and the trademark application is rejected, the trademark office of Oman will issue a decision explaining their reasons for objections in writing.
The applicant has 60 days to respond to the trademark office’s decision. Once the objections have been resolved and the trademark application is accepted, the applicant proceeds to pay the required fees in order to publish the mark.
Publication of the trademark in Oman
After receiving the necessary fees, the trademark application will be published in the official gazette. The trademark will also need to be published in a local daily magazine.
The trademark application will then be opened for a 2 months opposition period in which any third parties may file for the opposition of the registration of the trademark.
If there is no opposition, the trademark will be registered after the applicant has paid the required fees.
Renewal of a trademark in Oman
After successful registration of the trademark, the trademark will have a protection period of 10 years from the date of filing.
The trademark owner shall have the right to file for renewal of the trademark within 6 months following the expiration of the registration.
According to the rules, If the period of 6 months lapses and the owner of the mark has not applied for renewal thereof, the trademark office shall strike off the mark from the register.
However, in practice, the trademark office gives applicants more than 6 months to renew their trademark without striking it off the register, provided that they submit the late filing fees.
You can see a list of Oman IP firms here.