Overview
Registering a trademark grants its owner an exclusive right to use it within the registered class, allowing legal action against any party using a similar mark that might cause consumer confusion.
A conflict search deserves particular attention before registration, since a name that appears available in English may conflict with an existing registration in Arabic script, or the reverse, a detail easily overlooked without careful search.
Regulatory Basis
Trademark registration falls under the Trademark Law and its implementing regulations, which set out registration procedures, its duration, and renewal conditions.
Registration Steps
The process begins with a conflict search against existing registrations, then preparing the registration application and determining the appropriate class or classes for the company's activity.
After submitting the application, the trademark is published for a period allowing another party to file an opposition, and if no opposition is filed, registration proceeds and the trademark certificate is issued.
Who Needs This Service
A company entering the Saudi market that needs their trademark registered before launch, to avoid the risk of another party registering a similar mark first.
An established company expanding its activity into a new class that needs its trademark registered within this additional class.
We consistently see cases where a business name is registered in English only, without a parallel Arabic version, and the owner later discovers another party registered the Arabic version of the same name and used it for a competing activity. This kind of gap is worth closing early, particularly for brands targeting an audience that uses both languages equally in daily transactions.
Additional Considerations
When you discover unauthorized use of your trademark after registration, this situation calls for action under our anti-counterfeiting service.
If the infringement extends into the digital space through a similar domain registration, this connects with our domain name disputes service.
Common Questions
How long does trademark registration take?
The process typically takes several months due to the publication period allowing opposition, and we give a more precise estimate after reviewing your specific case.
Should we register the trademark in both Arabic and English?
We recommend this when the activity targets an audience using both languages, to avoid any future conflict with a similar registration in another language.