Tuesday 25 / March / 2025
Muscat: The number of applications for national and international trademarks, patents, copyrights, designs and industrial designs submitted in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry reached to 11,756 between January till the end of December 2018.
Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Director of the Intellectual Property Department in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said: Among these applications, 11,134 were for national and international trademark, 420 were for patents, 186 for copyright and 16 for industrial designs and models.
Al Saidi added that there were many people who want to apply for trademarks, patents, copyrights and industrial designs in the Intellectual Property Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This increase in the demand is due to awareness campaigns launched by the ministry.
Several seminars and workshops were organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Ministry of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Defence, technical colleges and at other concerned organisations.
During these events, importance of registering trademarks, patents, copyrights and industrial designs and protecting them was explained. He said that the number of international applications submitted by PCT system reached to 13 last year.
The Director of the Intellectual Property Department said that under the Ministerial Decision No. 206/2018 90 per cent fees for students and researchers were reduced. Similarly, 50 per cent reduction in fees for small and medium enterprises were also announced. This has also encouraged them to opt for registration of national patents.
Now, the innovator can reduce the cost and develop their innovation. The patient examiners in the Intellectual Property Department also help inventors in application process and give them advices.
