The Intellectual Property Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) in Qatar has issued a circular announcing temporary procedural measures affecting intellectual property matters, particularly trade mark procedures.
According to the circular, these measures have been introduced due to current circumstances beyond the Department’s control and the continuation of remote working arrangements, as the relevant teams are presently operating from home.
In light of these circumstances, the Department has indicated that trade mark matters with deadlines falling during this period may be accepted after the resumption of in-person operations.
This measure is intended to ensure that applicants and rights holders are not adversely affected by the current operational limitations.
The circular also confirms that an additional grace period will be granted, the duration of which will be determined by the Department’s management at a later stage.
The grace period will apply to the following trade mark procedures:
Further guidance regarding the duration of the grace period is expected once the situation stabilises.
For procedural matters that require a response, the Department has requested that agents submit their responses electronically to the relevant departmental email addresses so that the necessary action can be taken.
This applies in particular to:
Further announcements are expected once the Ministry confirms the timeline for the resumption of normal operations and the duration of the additional grace period.
We are monitoring developments closely and will provide further updates as additional guidance becomes available. Should you have any concerns or require any assistance in Qatar, please feel free to contact Rouse at tmgdubai@rouse.com.
