INDUSTRIAL DRAWING AND DESIGN REGISTRATION IN BAHRAIN
Industrial drawing and design consist of the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of an article, and can include three-dimensional features, such as the shape of an article, or two-dimensional features, such as pattern, lines, or colour. The protection period for an industrial drawing and design is ten years from date of filing in the Kingdom. If the proprietor files a renewal application during the last year of the period, the protection shall be renewed for a further five years. The proprietor may also file a renewal application during the six months after the expiry date. The industrial drawing and design application is submitted to the Patent Office by the applicant if he is a national or resident in the Kingdom of Bahrain; foreign applicants who are not resident in the Kingdom must apply through the IP Registration Office or a law firm in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Filing for Industrial Design
As per the law of Industrial Design, any natural person or legal entity who is a citizen of the Kingdom of Bahrain or a foreigner of a country member in the World Trade Organization or the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial property, or that applies reciprocity to the Kingdom, or if the person has real and effective industrial or commercial establishments in the territories of such countries, shall have the right to file an application for the registration of an industrial design in conformity with the provisions of this Law.
The protection period of an industrial design shall be for a period of ten years as from the date of filing the registration application in the Kingdom. The protection shall be extended for a further period of five years, when the right holder applies for renewal within the last year of the protection period. The owner may, however, apply for renewal of the registration, within three months after the expiry of the prescribed protection period.
As per the law, the application for the registration of an industrial design shall be filed and an application may include up to 50 industrial designs, provided that they all constitute a “unity”.
Documents Required For Filing
Documents which are required for the filing must contains:
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the applicant’s details;
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two sets of drawings;
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the legal representative’s information or a copy of the power of attorney;
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priority details (if any);
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the payment of the filing fee.
Examination and Grant
The Industrial Design only undergoes formal examination post which it is registered for the period of 10 years. Industrial designs in Bahrain are subject to the payment of annual maintenance fees that are due from the second year of the publication date and must be paid on the anniversary of the publication.
As per Bahraini law, any natural person or legal entity, whether a citizen of Bahrain or a foreigner from a World Trade Organization (WTO) member country, the Paris Convention, or countries with reciprocal agreements with Bahrain, can file an application for the registration of an industrial design.
The protection period for an industrial design is 10 years from the filing date, with the possibility of extending it for an additional 5 years, provided the renewal application is filed within the last year of protection. A grace period of three months after the expiration allows for renewal.
An industrial design application can include up to 50 designs, provided they share a "unity" in terms of their overall design.