Muscat: The number of applications for registration and documentation of brands, under the international trademark registration system, in the Sultanate of Oman reached 13,043 in 2023 compared to 11,742 in 2022, according to the statistics of the National Intellectual Property Office at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
The government departments concerned aimed to develop a mechanism regulating the signboards and trademarks in terms of their shapes, size, colour and languages.
Speaking on the regulations and laws related to trademarks Badriya bint Khalfan Al Rahbi, Head of Trademarks and Geographic Indications Department at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion said that the trademarks system at the National Intellectual Property office in the Sultanate of Oman is working under the provisions of the law regulating trademarks in the GCC States, promulgated by Royal Decree No. 33/ 2017.
She said that the trademark is a name, code or design aimed to help consumers identify and distinguish a product or service owned by a company or an establishment whether such product is industrial, agricultural or crafts product. The trademarks could include shapes, colours, images and logos among other features, she added.
Said bin Hamdan Al Siyabi, a researcher in the field of intellectual property at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion said that the application for registration a trademark is through Oman Business Platform. On completion of the required terms , a serial number is issued for the application through the trademarks system (Ipas) for inspection of the trademark registered for approval, he said, adding that the owner of the trademark may amend the trademark and transfer its ownership to other party and to renew the same every ten years.