General Information
Capital: Beirut
Location: Asia [North: Mediterranean Sea & Syria | East: Syria | West: Mediterranean Sea | South: Palestine / Israel]
Area: 10,452 Sq Km
GMT: + 2
Currency: 1 U.S. $= 1500 Lebanese Pound (January 2011)
Population: 4,125,247 (July 2010)
Climate: Hot Dry Summers | Mild To Cool Wet Winters
Languages: Arabic (Official) | English | French | Armenian
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $58.65 billion (2008)
Exports: Few Commodities But Mostly Agricultural Products and Fruits
Imports: Vehicles, Petroleum Products, Consumer Goods, Medicinal Products, Clothing, Meat & Live Animals, Paper and Textile Fabrics
Filing Requirements
LEBANON
• Filing Requirements:
1- A duly legalized Power of Attorney up to the Lebanese consulate.
2- The name, address and nationality of the applicant and the nature of its business.
3- The list of the goods/services to be covered by the application.
4- 15 prints of the trademark.
5- A certified copy of the priority document (in case of claiming priority).
6- Name the chairman or CEO of the applicant company.
Search results need 2-3 working days to be issued.
A trademark search covers word marks only, while the search for device marks can be conducted by MBO Office.
• Time Frame:
Under normal circumstances, the registration of a trademark is completed within ten working days from the filing date; while the relevant registration certificate is issued within 2-3 months.
• Validity:
A trademark registration is valid for 15 years from the date of filing the application.
• Notes:
The Lebanese registration system is a deposit system.
A trademark registration is valid for 15 years from the registration date and renewable for indefinite equal periods.
The use of a trademark is not compulsory for filing a trademark application, maintaining a trademark registration in force, or renewing a trademark registration.
- Filing the power of attorney with the trademark application is mandatory.
- Once a trademark (word mark in English Language) is registered, its transliteration is automatically protected.
• Renewal Requirements:
1- A duly legalized Power of Attorney up to the lebanies consulate.
2- Copy of the final registration certificate or last renewal certificate.
• Notes:
The validity of the trademark registration in Lebanon is fifteen years as from the registration date. Thereafter, a trademark registration is renewable for further consecutive periods of fifteen years each.
The renewal fees of a trademark registration can be paid during the last 12 months of the current protection period. There is a 3-month grace period within which a late renewal application can be filed, but such a late renewal application is subject to the payment of additional fees.
• Requirements for Recordal of Change of name:
A Power of Attorney simply signed and sealed by the applicant.
A certificate of Change of Name (issued by the Commercial Registry or by any other Competent authority) Duly Notarized & Legalized by the Lebanese Consulate together with a sworn translation.
• Requirements for Recordal of Change of address:
A Power of Attorney showing the new address, simply signed and sealed by the trademark owner together with a sworn translation.
Certified copy of Certificate of change of address.
• Requirements for Recordal of assignment:
A Power of Attorney simply signed and sealed by the assignee.
A Deed of Assignment signed by the trademark owner and the assignee before Notary Public, then legalized by the Lebanese Consulate together with a sworn translation.
• Requirements for Recordal of merger:
Power of Attorney, simply signed and sealed by the applicant.
A certificate of Merger (issued by the Commercial Registry or by any other competent authority), legalized by the Lebanese Consulate together with a sworn translation.
• Requirements for Recordal of License:
Power of Attorney, simply signed and sealed by the trademark owner.
License agreement signed by the trademark owner and the licensee before a Notary Public, then legalized by the Lebanese Consulate together with a sworn translation.
• Notes:
Surtax for every two months delay in recordal (each mark).
The change of agent name and address is automatically recorded while providing a POA for the service in question at no cost.