IP/Legal Practice In Qatar

Patents shall be available for any inventions, provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application whether they are related to new industrial products, modem industrial techniques and devices, or common industrial methods. Besides, it shall not be contradicting with the provisions of Islamic Sharia' (Law), violating the public order, ethics or national security.

The patent subject may be in the form of material product, an industrial process or a manufacturing technique. Subject to the law hereby, patentability shall not include:

• Scientific theories, mathematical methods, computer programs, exercise of pure intellectual activities, or practice of a specific game;
• Plants and animals’ researches, and essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals other than microbiological processes and its productions; and
• Diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical methods for the treatment of humans or animals and its productions.

For the filing process, the applicant needs to submit:

• Applicant name and address.
• Inventor(s) name and address.
• Patent Abstract, claims, and drawings in English and Arabic language should be submitted upon filing.
• Patent Specifications in English should be submitted upon filing.
• Patent Specifications in Arabic should be submitted within 6 months from filing date.
• Certified copy of the priority document should be submitted within 3 months from filing date.
• Certified copy of the international publication report upon filing.
• Power of Attorney (POA): Original should be notarized and legalized at the Qatari embassy and submitted within 6 months from filing date.
• Certified copy of the certificate of incorporation or an extract from the commercial registry if the applicant is a company, or a copy of the applicant’s passport if the applicant is an individual, submitted within 6 months from filing date.
• Deed of Assignment (DOA): signed by the inventor(s), notarized and legalized at the Qatari embassy, and submitted within 6 months from filing date.

The office shall examine registration applications. In this regard, it shall be entitled to request all necessary documents for patent granting. The applicant may bring grievance against the office refusal decision within fifteen days of being notified by a registered mail at a committee whose membership and competence are decided by a Ministerial decision. The Committee's decision shall only be irrevocable after being approved by the Minister in accordance with the provisions of the executive bylaws of the law hereby.

For the examination, the application will be examined and the examiner will issue his direction of either amendment of the application, rejection of the applicant or acceptance of the same.  For amendment the applicant has 90 days from the official notification date to reply to proceed with the examination of application. For rejection, the applicant has 15 days from the official notification date to appeal the decision before the Appeal Committee. For acceptance, the applicant has to settle the publication fees to publish the application in the official gazette. Any interested third party can oppose the said application within 60 days from the date of publication. The Patent Office will study the opposition and issue its decision within 30 days from filing date of opposition; otherwise, the opposition will be considered rejected implicitly. Once the application passes the publication period successfully, the registration fees should be settled to issue the related certificate of registration.

(Time Limit may vary. Clients are requested to check the official website or be in touch with our attorney)

(Please Note- The fees are subject to change with minor variations. The firm will not be liable for any discrepancy in the fees. The Charges will be taken as per the fees relevant at the time of providing the services.)

1- Patent Registration:

• Students: None, as they are exempted from paying any fees
• Individuals: QR1000
• Educational and Research Institutions and Companies: QR 2000

2- Technical Examination:

• Students: QR100
• Individuals: QR2500
• Educational and Research Institutions, Companies and organizations: QR 5000

3- Patent Acceptance Newspaper Publication:

• Students: QR50
• Individuals: QR200
• Educational and Research Institutions, Companies and organizations: QR400

4- Patent Certificate Issuance:

• Students: QR100
• Individuals: QR1000
• Educational and Research Institutions, Companies and organizations: QR2000

A patent is protected for 20 years from the filing date. Annuities should be settled prior to the anniversary of the filing date of a national application or a PCT international application until the termination of the patent protection duration. For example: if the patent was filed on 30 January, then the annuity should be settled every year prior to 30 January. The applicant should settle the annuity starting from the second year of filing the national application according to Paris Convention.