Registering a Trademark in Qatar
Although there are many factors to consider when setting up a company in Qatar, what many people neglect to consider is how to protect their brand. Trademarking your brand enables clients to distinguish your products and services from your competitors. So what is the process in Qatar? Below is a simple guide of the whole process.
Firstly, what actually is a trademark? A trademark can be defined as any name, symbol, word, artwork or logo which is used by a business to individualise themselves from other companies. A trademark is protected in accordance with its class, there are a total of 45 classes which cover a multitude of goods and services.
Trademarking in Qatar
In Qatar, trademarking is not mandatory however there are many benefits by doing so. Trademarking can be quite costly but the benefits really do outweigh the expenses. Trademarks are highly recommended by the Qatari government for legal related matters.
Qatar follows the International Classification of Goods and Services Act therefore each product you import into the country must be registered to enable you to market, distribute and sell in Qatar. Once registered, you will receive a ‘Classification Certificate’ from Qatar Ministry of Finance by the Procurement Regulatory Department (GPRD).
Trademark registrations in Qatar protect companies in Qatar only and are valid for 10 years from the date of filing for approval. It is highly important to be aware that any intellectual property rights registered with a trademark certificate are not protected outside of Qatar. The entire process takes between 12 and 16 months.
Why is trademarking important?
There are numerous reasons why protecting your brand is important:
- It helps you distinguish your business, services or products from that of your competitors and can assist with increased brand awareness.
- Protecting your business through trademarking provides protection and there are many penalties that can be imposed if there are any infringements on your trademark.
- A great marketing tool – trademarks can help establish businesses in their marketplace.
- Additional revenue – a company can sell their trademark or franchise their business.
- Business value – trademarks are intangible assets which can increase the value of a business.
What is the process of registering a trademark in Qatar?
Venture Partner Qatar specialise in the formation of businesses in Qatar and can guide you through the whole trademark registration process to ensure that registration is handled quickly and efficiently. As a guide, below are the steps you must take to register a trademark in Qatar:
- Step One: Complete the Trademark Search & Registration Order Form
- Step Two: Conduct a pre-filing search to ensure that no other companies have registered anything similar
- Step Three: File the trademark application form to the Trademarks, Industrial Designs, Geographical Indication, Commercial Registration and Licensing Intellectual Property departments.
- Step Four: Once the trademark has been accepted for registration, it will be published in the Trademark Journal
- Step Five: If there is no objection from a third party, a registration certificate will be issued. The whole process takes between 14 to 16 months.
What documents are required to register a trademark?
The following documents are required in order to register a trademark in Qatar:
- Power of Attorney of the business owner
- A completed trademark search/registration order form
- A softcopy of the trademark design
- Passport copy (for individuals)
- Qatari Trade License copy (for businesses)
Please note that only an ‘authorised trademark agent’ can process an application for you or you can process your own application for the issue of a trademark..
For more information on company formation and trademark registration contact Venture Partner Qatar on +974 4478 8765 or email info@vpqatar.com
There are many things to take into account when setting up a company in #Qatar, however, there is one crucial element that many businesses neglect to consider and this is how to protect their #trademark. https://t.co/F9CEf5UNpk
— Venture Partner (@venturepartnerq) July 21, 2019