Qatar Establishes Grievance Committee and Issues New Circulars on Patent Procedures

The much-anticipated implementation of Minister of Economy and Trade Resolution No. (154) of 2018, dated May 1, 2018, establishing a grievances committee concerning decisions related to patent registration and licensing, has finally come to fruition. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has recently formed a new Grievance Committee, poised to review appeals associated with patent application decisions. This significant development underscores Qatar's commitment to the global intellectual property community, instilling greater confidence among applicants seeking protection for their IP rights within the state of Qatar.

Additionally, the Minister of Economy and Trade has issued two distinct circulars, delineated as follows:
Circular No. 2/2024 Pertaining to the Payment of Patent Annuities: This circular stipulates that if the Qatari Patent Office fails to examine or render any decision regarding a submitted patent application within a consecutive period of three years, the applicant or their representative agent may cease settling the annuities from the fourth year until the Patent Office issues its acceptance or grant decision. At such point, all outstanding annuities must be paid, while subsequent annuities can be settled in their respective years until the end of the protection period.

Circular No. 3/2024 Addressing the Withdrawal and Amendment of Patent Applications: As per Article 6 of Executive Regulation No. 153 of 2018, under Patent Law No. 30 of 2006, patentees retain the right to withdraw their applications at any time prior to the issuance of a final decision of grant or rejection, albeit forfeiting the retrieval of their submitted documents and official fees. Likewise, patentees may amend their patent applications or submit supporting documents before a final decision of grant or rejection is issued, provided that such amendments do not the essence or nature of the invention.