Thanks to the UAE’s world-class business infrastructure, investors and entrepreneurs from across the globe move to the country to start their own companies, which has led to more competition in the market. Some companies may even see their brand name or logo being copied without their permission, which can impact their business. That’s where trademark registration in the UAE can help. Legally registering your trademark, which can be a name or a symbol, in the UAE protects your company. In addition to this, you will be legally recognised as the owner of the goods and services with that trademark. Today, MyBayut discusses how to register your trademark as well as registration fees, renewal and cancellation processes.
WHAT IS A TRADEMARK?
Trademarks are a brand name, symbol or logo that is used to identify goods or services provided by a specific company. A trademark can be a name, words, signature, letter, symbol, drawing, figure, inscription, image or advertisement used to distinguish a set of products, goods and services as either belonging to a certain owner or coming from a certain source.
There are many benefits to registering trademarks in the UAE, such as protecting your brand and ensuring that other companies cannot copy or imitate your trademark. The UAE’s Ministry of Economy is the official authority that governs the registration, renewal and cancellation of trademarks.
WHICH TRADEMARKS CAN BE REGISTERED IN THE UAE?
There are certain limitations to keep in mind when registering trademarks in the UAE. If you wish to register a United Arab Emirates trademark, it must not contain any of the following:
- Offenses against public morals and religions
- Public symbols (such as flags)
- Symbols such as for Red Cross and Red Crescent
- Names or titles of third parties
- Direct translations of other well-known trademarks
There may be additional limitations to what you can include in your trademark, which you can find out by contacting the Ministry of Economy.
HOW TO REGISTER TRADEMARK IN THE UAE
The procedure for trademark registration in the UAE is quite simple but important to right. If you’re looking to register your company’s trademark in the UAE, you’ll need to carry out the following steps:
MAKE SURE THE TRADEMARK IS NOT ALREADY REGISTERED
The first step trademark registration procedure in the UAE is to make sure that it’s not already in use by another company. If the trademark is already being used by someone else, you will not be able to register it. You can do this by searching for the trademark online, using tools such as Marcaria. Once you’re sure that the trademark is not already in use, you can proceed with the next steps of trademark registration in the UAE.
FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM ON THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
The next step to register a trademark in the UAE is to fill out the online application form on the Ministry of Economy’s website, which is the official authority that governs trademark applications. To do so, select ‘Services’ on the website’s homepage and then ‘e-Services’ from the dropdown menu. Then select ‘Trademarks’ from the Services page and click ‘Trademark Registration’ under New Applications, once you have been redirected to the other page. Fill out the application form and upload the required documents.
The documents required for trademark registration in the UAE are as follows:
- Trademark Logo
- Copy of Trade Licence
- Power of Attorney
- Passport Copy
- Priority Document
- List of Goods and Services to be protected
Other documents may be required on a case-by-case basis. Once you have uploaded the necessary documents, you can submit the application.
PAY THE TRADEMARK REGISTRATION FEES IN UAE
Once you have submitted your application, you will need to pay the required fees for the UAE trademark registration. Applicants will need to pay AED 8,700 for the trademark or brand registration in the UAE. This trademark registration cost in the UAE does not include any legal and translation fees that you may have to pay. Applicants can pay trademark registration in the UAE cost through the Ministry of Economy website itself.
WAIT FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE REVIEWED BY THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
After submission, the Ministry of Economy will review your application for trademark registration in the UAE. You must be careful and accurate while filling out the application, as any missing or wrong information can get your application rejected. However, should this happen, applicants can appeal or modify their application as required.
If your application has no issues, then the Ministry of Economy will typically give approval within 30 days.
PUBLISH THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN TWO LOCAL ARABIC-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS
After the approval has been given for your trademark registration in the UAE, you will need to have an announcement of your trademark published in the official journal and two local newspapers. For your trademark to be published in the official trademark journal, you will need to pay AED 1,000 to the Ministry of Economy, who will publish it on your behalf. However applicants will also be required to publish the announcement of the trademark in two local Arabic-language newspapers, which will incur an additional cost.
The local newspapers where you can publish the announcement of your trademark are:
- Al Khaleej
- Al Watan
- Al Ittihad
- Al Bayan
- Al Fajr
- Al Wahda
After it has been published in two Arabic-language newspapers in the UAE, members of the public have 30 days to voice an objection to your trademark. If someone objects to your trademark in that time period, the Ministry of Economy will review the objection, following which they will either reject it or inform you.
However, bear in mind that the Ministry of Economy only publishes the announcement at the end of each month, so applicants could have to wait almost two months to have their trademark registered in the UAE.
RECEIVE THE TRADEMARK REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE
If there has been no objection to your trademark in that time period, the Ministry of Economy will then provide you with a certificate of registration for your trademark in the UAE. The certificate will include important details such as the trademark’s registration number, the trade name and owner’s name, the trademark itself and a description of the goods and services that fall under it.
TRADEMARK VALIDITY IN THE UAE
A trademark registered in the UAE has a validity of 10 years, after which it must be renewed for an additional cost.
Bear in mind that registering your trademark only protects it in the seven emirates of the UAE, and not anywhere else in the world.
TRADEMARK REGISTRATION CHARGES IN THE UAE
The trademark registration cost in the UAE is AED 8,700, along with an additional AED 1,000 for publishing the trademark in the official journal. There may also be additional costs for translations and legal help, as well as the cost to publish the trademark in two local newspapers.
You can also use one of the trademark registration companies in the UAE to assist you with the process, although, this will cost you more.
HOW TO RENEW YOUR TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN THE UAE
After a trademark registration’s validity is over, you will have three months from the date of expiry to renew the registration. However, for each month that you delay the trademark renewal in the UAE, you will need to pay AED 1,000 as a fine.
The trademark renewal in the UAE is done through a similar process as the registration. On the Ministry of Economy’s website, after selecting ‘Trademarks’ from the Services page, select Modification and Maintenance Services. Then, choose ‘Trademark Renewal’ from the dropdown list. Aside from filling out the application form, you will also need to submit a copy of the old registration certificate. After paying the renewal fee, your trademark registration will be renewed within 30 days.
TRADEMARK RENEWAL FEES IN THE UAE
Once you have submitted the application form, you will need to pay the renewal cost, which is AED 6,700.
HOW TO CANCEL A TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN THE UAE
Looking to cancel your trademark registration in the UAE? You can do so via the Ministry of Economy’s website. On the ‘Trademarks’ page, there is a service under Modification and Maintenance Services, called ‘Cancel Registered Trademark By Owner Request’. Those who wish to cancel a registered trademark, can select this service and fill out the application form and submit required documents. The main document that is required to cancel a trademark registration is a copy of the old registration certificate, although, other documents may be required on a case-by-case basis.
Once you have submitted the application, you will need to pay the cancellation fee, which is AED 1,500. If your application is approved, you will need to publish an announcement of the cancellation in two local Arabic-language newspapers, after which the process will be complete.
MINISTRY OF ECONOMY UAE CONTACT NUMBER
If you have more questions regarding the trademark registration in Dubai or the rest of the UAE, you can contact the Ministry of Economy at 800-1222.
And that brings an end to our guide on trademark registration in the UAE! Interested in finding out about more UAE laws? Read up on our guide to the new virtual company licence in Dubai, which allows business owners or investors to set up a business in Dubai without residing in the UAE! Or learn more about the E-Trader licence in Dubai, which lets home entrepreneurs promote their services and products through social media. And stay tuned to MyBayut, Dubai’s best real estate and lifestyle blog, to learn more about life in the UAE!
