Trademark Registration — Search, Filing and Protection in Saudi Arabia

Most refused applications could have been avoided with a proper search before filing. A trademark search is more than typing the name into the public search tool of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property; the examiner looks beyond identical spelling to similarity in sound, meaning and appearance, and to whether the goods or services are close enough to confuse a consumer.

Goods and services are classified under the international Nice Classification, which has forty-five classes: thirty-four for goods and eleven for services. The wrong class means protection that does not cover what you actually sell, while filing too broadly raises cost and invites conflicts. We tie the classes to what you sell today and what you plan to launch soon.

What our search report covers:

Many people say they want to “reserve” a trademark when they mean filing the application itself; there is no separate reservation before the application, but the filing date establishes your priority against anyone who later applies for a similar mark. The application is filed online through the e-services of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and is governed by the GCC Trademark Law and its Implementing Regulations.

After filing, an examiner at the Authority reviews the application for form and substance, and may accept it, request an amendment or refuse it with reasons. Once accepted, the mark is published so any interested party can oppose it within the statutory period, and it is then registered and the certificate issued if no opposition is filed or the opposition is resolved in your favour.

The most expensive mistake at this stage is filing in the name of someone other than the real owner of the business, or with an image that differs from the mark actually used in the market. Send us the mark exactly as it appears on your product or account before you pay the filing fee, and we will tell you what needs changing.

Government fees for filing, publication, registration and renewal are set by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property in its official fee schedule and may change over time, so we check it for every application rather than relying on figures circulating online.

The overall cost is mostly driven by the number of classes, since each class carries its own fees, and then by what happens along the way: examination remarks that need an answer, a refusal that calls for a grievance, or a third-party opposition that requires written submissions. A mark that passes examination and publication without obstacles is the cheapest one, which is why a prior search is an investment rather than an extra expense.

Our professional fees are separate from the official fees, and we confirm them to you in writing once we have seen the mark, the classes and the stage your application has reached, whether it is a new filing or a stalled file. If you have more than one mark, such as a separate word mark and logo, we suggest which one to register first based on what you actually use in the market.

If a mark similar to yours is published, you can oppose its registration within the period set from the publication date, with a submission showing your priority, the similarity and the likelihood of confusion. If it is your application that was refused or opposed, the law allows a grievance against the decision followed by a court challenge, and these deadlines are short.

After registration, protection becomes a working tool: registration gives the owner the right to prevent others from using an identical or similar mark on similar goods or services. A trademark lawyer on our team documents the infringement, sends a warning notice, reports it to the Authority and files a claim before the Commercial Courts to halt the use and seek compensation where needed.

The more your mark is registered and its use documented with dates, the stronger your position in any dispute, so we keep a file proving use from the start.

Trademark ownership is transferred through a written assignment between the owner and the assignee, with or without the business itself, and it has no effect against third parties until recorded in the Authority's trademark register. This comes up when a store is sold, a partner joins, or the mark moves from the founder's name to the company after incorporation. A licence, by contrast, keeps ownership with the owner and lets another party use the mark on agreed terms, and it too must be written and recorded.

A registered mark is protected for ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for similar periods by an application filed before expiry, with a limited grace period afterwards for an additional charge. Missing a trademark renewal can open the door to cancellation, so we diarise the dates and alert you before they arrive. Before any transfer or licence we also confirm the mark is in force and registered to the person dealing in it, so the recordal is not refused and no one buys an incomplete right.