Implementing Regulations Confirm The GCC Patent Office's New Working Model

In January 2021, the Patent Office of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC patent office) stopped accepting new GCC patent applications following a meeting of the GCC Supreme Council. This meeting resulted in an amended GCC Patent Regulation being issued in May 2021 and more recently the Implementing Regulations in November 2021. Below we take you through the key takeaways for the new Regulations.

A review of the Regulations confirm the position set out in the amended GCC Patent Regulation, that the GCC Patent Office will resume handling patent applications, their examination and grant, as well as annuities. However, the significant change from pre-January 2021 applications, is that the GCC Patent Office will only do so upon request from a national patent office in the GCC. Rather than file directly with the GCC Patent Office, applicants will have to file for a GCC patent through a national office.