5,779 applications for trademarks, patents received in past 6 months

Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion said that 5,779 applications for trademarks, patents and copyright were received in the past six months of 2021.

The number of applications submitted between January and June 2021 saw an increase of 32.24 per cent compared to 4,370 applications registered during the same period in the year 2020.

Statistics issued by the National Intellectual Property Office at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) indicated that these applications consisted of 5,445 applications for national and international trademarks, 260 national and international applications for patents and 78 applications for copyright.

The ministry confirmed Ministerial Resolution No. (206/2018) regarding the reduction of fees for students and researchers by 90 per cent and 50 per cent for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

This acted as a catalyst for the registration of national patent applications, as this facilitated the submission and registration of the application, as the inventor was able to benefit from this reduction in spending and develop innovations.

In addition, the role of patent examiners in the National Patent Office, help in assisting inventors in drafting applications and initial searches and advising them on the importance of registration and protection.

It should be noted that copyright is a legal term describing the rights granted to creators in relation to their literary and artistic works, as copyright covers a wide range of works from books, music, oil paintings, sculptures and films to computer programmes, databases, advertisements, geographical maps and technical drawings.

The importance of protecting intellectual property lies in allowing rights holders, whether the creator or the owner of the patent, trademark or copyright, to benefit from his work and investment and the establishment of local industries based on these rights, encouraging and attracting foreign investments, providing the necessary protection, and limiting the spread of counterfeit works.

Facing the challenges of e-commerce and the challenges of the communications and Internet community.