To file a patent in the UAE, it must be processed before the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy, as they are the authority responsible for managing intellectual property registration applications.
Contact us to initiate the process of filing a patent in the United Arab Emirates. Click Here.
What is a patent in the United Arab Emirates?
A patent in the United Arab Emirates is an exclusive right granted by the United Arab Emirates State as a property title of new creations and procedures, which allows to generate profits around that invention for 20 years in the UAE.
An invention patent is a right that the State grants the inventor to exercise exclusivity over his invention. It enables it to prevent third parties, without authorization, from performing acts of manufacture, use, offer for sale, sale, or import of the patented product or procedure.
How to file a patent in the United Arab Emirates?
The official language for patent filing in the United Arab Emirates is Arabic. The application may be filed in any other foreign language; however, its sworn translation into Arabic should be submitted within ten working days from the filing date.
The approximate time from application to granting (for a prosecution without an opposition) is from 3 to 5 years.
Filing a Patent in the United Arab Emirates must contain the following documents:
- Full name and address of the applicant, whether an individual or corporation.
- Full name and address of Inventors.
- Invention Title, Abstract of the Invention, Utility Model or Design
- Invention, Utility Model or Design Text Description
- Claims (Arabic, English)
- Set of formal drawings (Arabic, English)
- Translation of the foreign patent application to the local language if extending the original application
- Official certified priority document, including translation if needed, priority number, and country of origin
- Official search results from the Patent Office where the patent was first filed
- The Patent filing can also be presented with the information from points 1, 2, and 3 along with a copy of the original foreign patent information, and priority information including date and number.
To file a patent in the UAE a certified priority document should be presented within 30 days.
The application may be filed in any other foreign language; however, the term for submission of the Arabic translation is 60 days from the filing date.
Contact us to initiate the process of filing a patent in the United Arab Emirates. Click Here.
Also, you may need to file a trademark in the United Arab Emirates
How is the Patent process in the United Arab Emirates?
- Application submission: The procedure can be initiated by filling in the application form through the eSystem or Personally at the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy. The procedure will not be considered received until payment of the corresponding fee is made.
- Preliminary Examination: From an administrative process it is verified (after 30 working days) that the information on the forms is complete and adequate. It is also verified that the abstract filed correctly describes the invention to be patented.
If any of the requirements are not complete on the submission form, the SIC will request you to complete the document in the time of 2 (two months), extendable for another 2 (two) months. - Publication: After the preliminary examination, the application must request publication. From that moment anyone can access its content and submit comments within the next 60 days. The observations made by third parties function as recommendations to be evaluated by the examiners. Within the first 18 months, the application can be requested to be published.
- Examination: The term to pay the Exam fee is 6 (six) months from the date of Publication. Patent examiners conduct a search in national and international databases to determine if the application meets the requirements of patentability.
Patent term:
20 years from the date of filing of the application.
Average time from filing to grant:
The average time from filing to granting a patent in the United Arab Emirates is 5-6 years.
Grant, validity term and maintenance fees
Once the patent in the UAE is granted, it will be valid for a period of 20 years. The 1st and 2nd Annuities are paid together with the filing fees.
Therefore, the first payable annuity is the 3rd and it is calculated from the international filing date. The same must be paid in advance of the 2nd anniversary of the international filing date.Subsequent annuities should be paid annually on the anniversary of the international filing date.
Some Extra Facts
Representation by a patent attorney
Foreign patent applicants need to prosecute a patent application in the UAE through an attorney or agent registered in the country.
Check out our blog for more information on Intellectual Property.
Do you need to file a Patent in another country?
This content may suffer modifications due to updates in the official regulations of Argentina.
