The Qatar Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Intellectual Property Department has issued Ministerial Decree No. 56 of 2023 concerning the GCC Trademark Law and its ancillary regulations. The intent of this decree is to facilitate more efficient and internationally-aligned trademark processes within Qatar.
One of the main changes includes the reduction of the opposition submission period from four to two months. There will also be a revision in official fees for certain services, with some experiencing an increase and others witnessing a decrease. Additionally, the period allowed for responding to an office action has been shortened from two months to one month.
In a remarkable shift, the Ministerial Circular has mandated higher official fees for several services encompassing trademark publication and registration. The current publication fees have been set at 500 QAR (137 USD), a significant increase from the previous 325 QAR (89 USD). Concurrently, the registration fees have escalated to 3000 QAR (822 USD), up from the previous 2025 QAR (557 USD).
Please note that under the newly enacted regulations, it has become obligatory to remit the official publication and registration fees within 30 days of receiving the acceptance notification or upon the opposition period’s expiry. Failure to comply with these terms will result in the trademark application being deemed as abandoned.
The provisions of this updated Ministerial Decree for trademarks in Qatar, as outlined in the Official Gazette no. 09 dated 9th July 2023, are effective immediately. These new rules will be applicable to all trademark applications, both pending and new, from the above-mentioned date.