The new UAE Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 was published in the UAE Federal Register No. 706 on May 20, 2021. This law involves the fees and protection of industrial property rights and will take effect in November 2021. In order to promote knowledge and innovation, the UAE Law No. 11 is intended to protect industrial property rights and to manage the procedures of registration, use and implementation in accordance with the best international practices. The following are the main amendments to UAE Law No. 11, and the relevant implementation rules will be announced in the near future.

1. A 12-month grace period is introduced, so applicants/inventors can still file invention patents cases within 12 months after they disclose or publish their inventions in the country.

2. New accelerated examination regulations are added, so applicants can use the accelerated examination system if complying with relevant regulations.

3. The penalties for counterfeit patents are increased to at least 10,000 dirhams (ADE) and up to 1 million dirhams.

From Tai E International Patent & Law Office

September 2021