Bahrain
Bahrain Trademark Registration Process
OVERVIEW
As a leading economy in the Middle East, Bahrain presents lucrative opportunities for brands. However, the competitive landscape underscores the importance of safeguarding brands through trademark registration. The Kingdom's robust Intellectual Property laws offer substantial protection to registered trademarks. Yet, it's essential for non-Bahraini brand owners to engage authorized trademark agents for the registration process in Bahrain.
WHAT CAN BE REGISTERED AS A TRADEMARK IN BAHRAIN ?
In Bahrain, a trademark may encompass various visually distinctive elements such as signs, names, words, letters, numbers, images, inscriptions, symbols, photographs, packaging, drawings, figures, single or multiple colors, or combinations thereof. These elements are utilized to differentiate the products or services of one entity from those of others.
WHAT CANNOT BE REGISTERED AS A TRADEMARK IN BAHRAIN ?
The Trademark Office in Bahrain prohibits the registration of the following types of trademarks:
- Marks lacking distinctive character
- Marks conflicting with public order or morals
- Flags of the Kingdom of Bahrain, flags of Arab countries, or those of any other foreign country or international organizations
- Emblems of the Red Crescent or Red Cross
- Marks identical or similar to emblems of religious significance
- Marks that could mislead the public regarding the origin of products or services
FILING REQUIREMENTS IN BAHRAIN
- Arabic is the official language for trademark registration in Bahrain. If documents are initially filed in English, an authorized Arabic translation must be submitted within a 4-month period.
To establish the filing date, the following must be provided:
- Applicant details, including nationality
- A list of goods and services for the intended trademark application
- A representation of the trademark
- A copy of the power of attorney
- certified copy of the Priority Document, along with its authorized translation, must be submitted within 3 months.
- The original Power of Attorney needs to be legalized through any Arab Consulate and can be submitted within 3 months from the filing date.
- The period for filing a trademark application with conventional priority in Bahrain is six months from the priority date.
01. INITIAL TRADEMARK SEARCH
Mahtta & Co. strives to make the the trademark registration process smooth. We offer to conduct a trademark search for your proposed mark to give you an idea of how registrable your mark is in Kingdom of Bahrain.
02. PREPARING YOUR APPLICATION
Following the conclusion of the pre-application search, the owner of the trademark can move forward by submitting an application with the SAIP.
To help us prepare your application, we’ll need to know:
- Name of the Mark/ Logo/ Device prints or Visual Representation - Name of the Applicant - Address and Nationality of the Applicant - Copy of Trade License - Power of Attorney - Passport Copy - Priority Document - List of Goods and Services to be protected
FEES
The cost to file an application in Kingdom of Bahrain depends on how many classes you would like to include in your application.
03. TRADEMARK FILING
Bahrain offers two registration processes: one for nationals and another for foreigners. Bahraini nationals can register their trademarks directly at the Trademark Office within the Industrial Property Directorate. Foreigners, on the other hand, must file their applications through intellectual property firms or trademark agents based in Bahrain.
04. TRADEMARK ONLINE FILING IN BAHRAIN
Bahrain has introduced an online portal for trademark registration, enabling citizens, residents, and trademark agents to apply for trademark registration. Additionally, the online portal facilitates opposition filing against trademark applications.
05. TRADEMARK FILING UNDER NICE CLASSIFICATION
Applicants must register their trademarks under the appropriate classes of goods and services according to the NICE Classification. Multi-class filing of trademarks is not permitted in Bahrain; therefore, applicants must file separate applications for each class.
06. EXAMINATION
Following the submission of the trademark registration application, the Trademark Office will conduct an examination. This review involves checking for existing registrations or applications for identical or similar trademarks by other parties. Additionally, the Trademark Office will ensure that the application fulfills all requirements stipulated by the Trademark Law. If any requirements are not met, the examining official will raise objections to the mark.
07. PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE
If all conditions are satisfied, the trademark will be approved for registration. Subsequently, the trademark will be published in the Gazette of the Patent and Trademark Office. During the 60-day opposition period, any concerned party has the opportunity to raise objections to the trademark.
08. REGISTRATION OF THE MARK
If no objections are raised, the Industrial Property Directorate of Bahrain will issue a registration certificate.
Now that your trademark is registered, you can put registered mark symbol : Ⓡ
09. TRADEMARK VALIDITY
The validity period for trademark registration in Bahrain is 10 years from the date of application filing.
10. RENEWAL
Trademark owners have the option to renew their trademarks for consecutive 10-year periods. They can utilize a 6-month grace period for late renewals. Even if renewal is not completed within this grace period, third parties are still unable to apply for registration of the trademark. However, after a lapse of 3 years from the date of cancellation, they may apply for the trademark.