SYRIA

• Filing Requirements:

1. A copy of the trademark home or any other foreign corresponding registration certificate reflecting the same class of goods and services to be specified in the Syrian application. (The Registrar could request a certified copy thereof at a later stage).

2. Legalized Power of Attorney up the Syrian consulate.

N.B:

In compliance with the Interior Ministry's regulations to obtain clearing approval on the Powers of Attorney, the Syrian TMO has been recently on the practice of requesting the Powers of Attorney to be duly legalized up to the Syrian consulates abroad, which subsequently involves obtaining the Interior Ministry's approval and local attestation on this document by the Syrian Foreign Ministry. The procedure of super-legalizing the Power of Attorney in Syria takes (2 - 3 months) involves extra cost. The late filing of the POA within the subsequent six-month grace period is also surcharged with fine payment per month/application.

1. Prints of the mark (15 pcs).

2. The applicant's name, address, nationality and legal form.

3. If the applicant has used or intent to use the trademark in Syria within (3) years from its registration date in Syria.

4. The applicant's activities (trading or/and manufacturing).

5. Description of the trade/service mark, and its meaning.

6. Class and goods/services.

7. The priority details of the convention application to be claimed, if any.

8. In case of a collective trademark, copy of the utility articles of association.

9. In case of a certification mark, a copy of the permission to use this mark according to the accredited quality and inspection.

10. The issuing date of the documents should not exceed six months upon filing the application.

11. Trademark search at the TMO is possible. Search outcome takes about 15 days.

12. Certificate of origin, legalized (for classes 3 and 5). Also, list of ingredients typed on company's letterhead (for Pharmaceutical products in class 5).

Please note that a new IP law has been recently issued in Syria by which the official fees have been increased. New procedures will be implemented; accepted applications will be published in Syria for opposition.

Single class system is adopted in Syria, i.e. each class relating to the same trademark should be covered by separate application.

Service marks may be registered according to the 10Th edition of the Nice Classification.

Please be advised that, the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection in Syria issued a new Decision No. 1999 Dated 13/11/2014  includes an Increase in the Trademarks, Industrial Drawings & Designs and General IP matters Official Fees.

This decision will take its effect as from 01/01/2015 and will be applied for all new IP matters filed after the said date as well as all pending IP matters that have due payments  in the year 2015.

Search results need 15 working days to be issued.

• Time Frame:

The approximate time frame for completing the filing of a trademark is: 8-12 months 

• Notes:

The applicant shall be considered as having waived his application if he does not fulfill the conditions and amendments required by the TMO on the date defined in the notification served to him or does not object to the decision of the TMO or contest the ad hoc committee decision within the prescribed deadlines.

An application for the registration of the mark, which had been accepted, shall be considered void by the law unless the applicant or his agent completes the registration procedures of the mark, and obtains a certificate within (90) days from the expiry date of publication or issuance of an enforceable court judgment in his favor.

In compliance with the Interior Ministry's regulations to obtain clearing approval on the Powers of Attorney, the Syrian TMO has been recently on the practice of requesting the Powers of Attorney to be duly legalized up to the Syrian consulates abroad, which subsequently involves obtaining the Interior Ministry's approval and local attestation on this document by the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

The procedure of super-legalizing the Power of Attorney in Syria takes (2 - 3 months) involves extra cost. The late filing of the POA within the subsequent six-month grace period is also surcharged with fine payment per month/application.

The TMO demand is to be applied on all the pending applications retroactively Therefore we ask our valued clients who have pending application(s) filed as of January 1, 2010 (supported with a notarized POA) to presently provide us with a POA legalized up to the Syrian consulate.

Please note that the advantage of one Power of Attorney legalized up to the Syrian consulate is that it can be used permanently, since we our office in Syria will deposit it at the Notary Public in Damascus, and extract true copies thereof locally for the number of the applications required as well as each time we receive instructions to attend to new IP procedure in Syria. Consequently, it will no longer be necessary to send us new Powers of Attorney for the future matters.

• Renewal Requirements:

1- Legalized Power of Attorney up the Syrian consulate.

2- Copy of the final registration certificate or last renewal certificate.

N.B:

In compliance with the Interior Ministry's regulations to obtain clearing approval on the Powers of Attorney, the Syrian TMO has been recently on the practice of requesting the Powers of Attorney to be duly legalized up to the Syrian consulates abroad, which subsequently involves obtaining the Interior Ministry's approval and local attestation on this document by the Syrian Foreign Ministry. The procedure of super-legalizing the Power of Attorney in Syria takes (2 - 3 months) involves extra cost. The late filing of the POA within the subsequent six-month grace period is also surcharged with fine payment per month/application.

• Notes:

The validity of the trademark registration in Syria is ten years as from the filing date. Thereafter, a trademark registration is renewable for further consecutive periods of ten 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 6 months 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/address/legal status:

1. A Power of Attorney in the new owner name and/or address Duly Notarized & Legalized from the Syrian Embassy.

2. A change of name and/or address document legalized up the Syrian Embassy.

3. A simple Copy of the Trademark Registration Certificate.

• Requirements for Recordal of assignment, merger, or license:

1. A Power of Attorney (from the assignee) Duly Notarized & Legalized from the Syrian consulate.

2. A Deed of assignment Duly Notarized & Legalized up the Syrian consulate.

3. A simple copy of the Trademark Registration Certificate.

• Notes:

The agent for service is the only party that has the right to take actions in respect of a trademark; thus, the change of agent name and address is automatically recorded while providing a POA for the service in question.

It is not permitted to file recordal of change of name, address or assignment application without the original documents.

Recording of Change of Name and/or Address should be filed within 3 months from the Change Date; otherwise, it will be subject to a delay fine.

An assignment should be filed within 3 months from assignment date, after that there will be delay fines.

An assignment can be applied for all or some of the Goods/Services of a registered TM.

An assignment will not take effect against the public or 3rd parties unless it is published or registered (recorded).

Assignment can be registered (recorded) against a pending mark before the publication only.