How to register your trademark in the UAE
- What is a Trademark in the UAE
- Trademark Registration UAE
- Benefits of Trademark Registration
- Trademark Registration UAE costs
- Renew Trademark Registration
- Cancel Trademark Registration
- FAQs
While setting up a business in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE involves numerous steps like trade licenses, company registration and legal documents, many entrepreneurs and business setup companies overlook an essential aspect: trademark registration. Hence, this guide will discuss the critical role of trademark registration in the UAE.
MyBayut discusses how trademark registration safeguards your company’s reputation, what its key benefits are and why securing your trademark is an absolute must.
WHAT IS A TRADEMARK?
Trademarks are a brand name, symbol or logo used to identify goods or services provided by a specific company. A trademark can be a name, word, signature, letter, symbol, drawing, figure, inscription, image or advertisement used to distinguish a set of products, goods and services belonging to a particular owner or coming from a specific source.
WHAT IS TRADEMARK CLASS SYSTEM IN THE UAE
In the UAE, trademarks are categorised using a system of 45 international classes, each encompassing specific products and services. While you can register in 44 of these classes, it’s essential to choose wisely!
Focusing on classes relevant to your business ensures you receive the necessary protection without incurring unnecessary costs for irrelevant categories.
WHICH TRADEMARKS CAN BE REGISTERED IN THE UAE?
There are certain limitations to consider when opting for brand registration in UAE. If you wish to register a United Arab Emirates trademark, it must not contain any of the following:
- Offences 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
How to register a trademark in UAE, you might wonder? The UAE trademark registration process is quite simple. 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 in the trademark registration procedure in the UAE is to make sure that it’s not already being used by another company. If the trademark is already being used by someone else, you will not be able to register it.
You can search 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 towards brand registration in 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 continue with the online application.
PAY THE TRADEMARK REGISTRATION FEES IN UAE
Once you have submitted your application, you must pay the required fees for the UAE trademark registration. Applicants must pay AED 10,500 for the trademark or brand name registration in the UAE.
This trademark registration cost in the UAE does not include any legal and translation fees you may have to pay. Applicants can pay trademark registration UAE costs through the Ministry of Economy website.
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 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, the Ministry of Economy will typically approve it within 30 days.
PUBLISH THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN TWO LOCAL ARABIC-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS
After your trademark registration in UAE is approved, you must announce your trademark 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 trademark announcement in two local Arabic-language newspapers, which will incur an additional cost.
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 within that time, the Ministry of Economy will review the objection, following which they will either reject it or inform you.
However, remember 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 is no objection to your trademark in that period, the Ministry of Economy will provide you with the certification. The certificate will include essential 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.
BENEFITS OF REGISTERING YOUR TRADEMARK IN THE UAE
- Brand Protection: Prevents counterfeiting, duplication and illegal import/export. Grants exclusive rights for marketing and product or service delivery.
- Enhanced Brand Value: Secures brand assets, fosters positive brand perception and allows for legal action against infringement.
- Global Market Advantage: Signals authenticity, builds customer trust and facilitates global expansion.
- Competitive Edge: Stands out from competitors and helps achieve faster market share and business growth.
- Legal Authority: Enables filing complaints against misuse and claiming infringement rights.
- Security: Increases business value, grants rights to the ® symbol and allows leveraging trademarks as loan collateral.
TRADEMARK REGISTRATION UAE COST
According to the Ministry of Economy, here is the trademark registration UAE cost:
- Filing fees: AED 750
- Publication in the Trademark Journal: AED 750
- Registration of trademark: AED 5,000
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 expiry date to renew the registration. However, each month 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 must also submit a copy of the old registration certificate. After paying the renewal fee, which is AED 5,750, your trademark registration will be renewed within 30 days.
HOW TO CANCEL A TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN THE UAE
Looking to cancel your brand name registration in UAE? You can do so via the Ministry of Economy’s website. On the ‘Trademarks’ page, a service under Modification and Maintenance Services is called ‘Cancel Registered Trademark By Owner Request.’
Those who want to cancel a registered trademark can select this service, fill out the application form and submit the required documents. The main document 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 applied for cancellation, you must pay the fee, which is AED 1,500. If your application is approved, you must announce the cancellation in two local Arabic-language newspapers, after which the process will be complete.
FAQS ABOUT TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN UAE
How long is the trademark registration valid 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.
What is a patent?
Unlike trademarks, patents safeguard novel inventions, not just brand names. This includes the ideas, processes and methods that bring those inventions to life. A patent grants its owner exclusive legal rights, preventing others from copying, using or profiting from their creation.
Who can object to the registration of my trademark?
Your trademark registration journey might not always be smooth sailing. Occasionally, a third party with a prior claim to the trademark might file an opposition during the public notification stage (publication in the Trademark Journal). If this happens, there are specific procedures to follow before your application can be approved.
How can I contact the Ministry of Economy?
If you have more questions regarding trademark registration in Dubai or the rest of the UAE, contact the Ministry of Economy at 800-1222 or email them at info@economy.ae.
And that ends our guide on registering trademarks 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.
If you are venturing into the corporate world, our guide on ‘How businesses can register for VAT in the UAE‘ can be helpful.
Stay tuned to MyBayut to learn more about life in the UAE!
