Country Data
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Kingdom of Bahrain |
| Capital | Manama |
| Area | 778 sq. km |
| Population | 1,643,000 (2025 estimate) |
| Official Language | Arabic |
| GDP | US$44.662 billion (2025 estimate) |
| Currency | Bahraini Dinar (BHD) |
| Work Days | Sunday – Thursday |
Conventions/ Treaties
- Paris Convention (effective since October 29, 1997)
- WIPO Convention (effective since June 22, 1995)
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (effective since March 18, 2007)
- Patent Law Treaty (PLT) (effective since December 15, 2005)
- Berne Convention (effective since March 2, 1997)
- Madrid Protocol (effective since December 15, 2005)
- WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) (effective since December 15, 2005)
- WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) (effective since December 15, 2005)
- Rome Convention (effective since January 18, 2006)
- Nice Agreement (effective since December 15, 2005)
- Trademark Law Treaty (effective since March 18, 2007)
- Budapest Treaty (effective since November 20, 2012)
- Brussels Convention (effective since May 1, 2007)
- TRIPS Agreement/WTO (Bahrain became a WTO member on January 1, 1995)
- Locarno Agreement: Bahrain acceded on July 29, 2026; the Agreement is scheduled to enter into force for Bahrain on October 29, 2026.
National Legislation
- Law No. 6 of 2014 approving the GCC Trademark Law, together with its Implementing Regulations. The GCC Trademark Law and Regulations took effect in Bahrain on May 29, 2016.
Note: Bahrain previously had Law No. 11 of 2006 on Trademarks. The current trademark framework is principally based on the GCC Trademark Law as implemented in Bahrain.
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Creation of rights | First-to-file system, subject to statutory protection for prior users and well-known marks. |
| Basis for filing | Use is not required as a prerequisite to filing; however, a registration may be vulnerable to cancellation for non-use for five consecutive years. |
| Well-known marks | Special protection is available, including protection against reproduction, imitation or translation of well-known marks even where the mark is not registered in Bahrain. |
| Types of marks | Trademarks, service marks, collective marks and other marks recognized under the GCC Trademark Law. |
| Priority | 6-month priority claim under the Paris Convention. |
| Madrid System | Bahrain has been a member of the Madrid Protocol since December 15, 2005. |
| Filing system | Single-class filing. Bahrain does not permit a single trademark application to cover multiple classes. |
| Classification | Nice Classification. Bahrain’s Trademark Office applies the Nice Classification to goods and services. |
| Who can be Applicant | Individuals and corporate/business entities. Foreign applicants who are not resident in Bahrain generally must act through an authorized IP agent or law firm in Bahrain. |
| Examination | Examination on formalities, absolute grounds and relative grounds/prior marks. |
| Publication | Accepted applications are published in the applicable Trademark Gazette/Special Publications for opposition purposes. |
| Opposition period | 60 days from publication. The opposition period is not extendable. |
| Duration of registration | 10 years from the filing date; renewable for further periods of 10 years. |
| Renewal grace period | 6 months following expiry. |
| Use requirement | A registration may be cancelled where the mark has not been seriously used for 5 consecutive years, absent adequate justification for non-use. |
| Registration timeframe (straightforward case) | Approximately 6 months, depending on examination and opposition proceedings. |
Search
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Official Search | Trademark searches are available through Bahrain’s Industrial Property e-Services system. |
| Scope of search | Includes trademark records maintained by the Bahrain Trademark Office |
| Turnaround time | Dependent on the type of search and the e-service requested |
Ways to obtain protection
- Filing of a national trademark application in Bahrain, with or without a priority claim under the Paris Convention
- Filing through the Madrid System
Documentary Requirements
New Applications
- Power of Attorney from the applicant, signed and notarized/legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- Particulars of the applicant, including name and address.
- Representation of the trademark, where applicable.
- Specification/list of goods and/or services to be covered.
- Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed, together with the required translation where applicable.
Renewal of Registration
- Power of Attorney from the applicant, signed and notarized/legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- Details/certificate of the trademark registration.
Change of Name / Address Recordation
- Power of Attorney from the applicant, signed and notarized/legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- Change of Name / Address document – duly legalized.
Assignment Recordation
- Power of attorney from the Assignee – duly notarized and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- Deed of Assignment, duly signed by both the assignor and the assignee – notarized/ legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- A copy of certificate of registration of the mark.
Merger Recordation
- Power of attorney from the surviving entity – duly notarized and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- Merger document – duly legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- A copy of certificate of registration of the mark.
License Recordation
- Powers of attorney from the Licensor and the Licensee – duly notarized and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- License agreement, duly signed by both the parties – notarized/ legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate.
- A copy of certificate of registration of the mark.
National Legislation
- Law No. 1 of 2004 on Patents and Utility Models, as amended by Law No. 14 of 2006, together with the applicable Implementing Regulations
Ways to obtain patent protection:
- National filing in Bahrain.
- PCT national phase application
- Paris Convention filing with a priority claim.
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Claims admissible for | Product and process inventions. |
| Novelty requirement | Absolute novelty, subject to statutory exceptions/grace provisions. |
| Convention priority | Available (12 months). |
| PCT national phase entry deadline | 30 months from the applicable priority date. |
| Search | Patent information can be searched through the Bahrain Patent Office/WIPO databases. |
| Examination | Applications are examined for compliance with formal requirements and patentability requirements, including novelty and inventive step. |
| Publication | Publication is made in the Official Gazette/official publication system in accordance with the applicable regulations. |
| Opposition period | 60 days from the applicable publication. |
| Protection term (patent) | 20 years from the filing date. |
| Protection term (utility model) | 10 years from the filing date. |
| Annuity payment | Annual fees are payable during the patent term, with the applicable schedule calculated from the filing/priority date. |
| Grace period for late annuity payment | 6 months, subject to the applicable late-payment surcharge. |
| Working/Compulsory License | Working of the patent is an official requirement. Where the patent has not been adequately worked within 3 years from grant or 4 years from filing, whichever is later, it may become subject to compulsory licensing under the law. |
| Patent grant timeframe | Dependent on examination/prosecution and any third-party proceedings; no reliable fixed statutory timeframe is specified. |
Filing Requirements
- Patent specification, claims, drawings (if any), and abstract in English and Arabic;
- Certificate of incorporation or excerpt from the commercial register related to the applicant company;
- Assignment of invention and priority rights, executed by the inventor(s) if the applicant is not the inventor, duly notarized and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate;
- A duly certified copy of priority document, if priority is claimed (not required for PCT national phase applications).
For PCT national phase application, the following items would also be required:
- A copy of International Publication with patent specification, claims, drawings, and abstract;
- A copy of International Search Report and Preliminary Examination Report.
National Legislation
- Law No. 6 of 2006 on Industrial Designs and Models, together with Decision No. 1 of 2010 issuing its Implementing Regulations
Ways to obtain protection for design:
- National filing in the Bahrain
- Application with priority claim under the Paris Convention
- International design protection may also become relevant through Bahrain’s accession to the the Locarno Agreement, which was deposited on July 29, 2026 and is scheduled to enter into force on October 29, 2026
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Types of designs | Drawings and three-dimensional models/forms. |
| Novelty | Novelty is a prerequisite. The design must not have been disclosed to the public in Bahrain or elsewhere before filing, subject to applicable statutory exceptions. |
| Multiple designs | Multiple designs may be included in a single application where the applicable requirements are satisfied; current practice permits multiple designs relating to the same subject matter/category. |
| Convention priority | 6-month priority may be claimed under the Paris Convention. |
| Locarno Classification | Bahrain acceded to the Locarno Agreement on July 29, 2026; it is scheduled to enter into force on October 29, 2026. |
| Examination | Primarily examination as to formal requirements; current practice indicates that substantive novelty examination is limited compared with patent examination. |
| Publication | Applications are processed and published in accordance with the applicable industrial design regulations. |
| Opposition | Third-party opposition is available in accordance with the applicable publication/opposition procedure. |
| Protection term | 10 years from the filing date, renewable once for a further 5 years. |
| Annuities | Applicable annual fees are payable in accordance with the Patent Office schedule. |
| Annuity grace period | A grace period is available for late payment, subject to the applicable rules and fees. |
| Registration timeframe (straightforward case) | Approximately 10–12 months, although actual timing depends on prosecution. |
Requirements
- Representations/drawings or photographs of the design.
- Brief description of the design.
- Power of Attorney from the applicant and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate
- Certificate of incorporation or extract from the commercial register for a corporate applicant and duly legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate
- Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed, together with the required Arabic translation, duly legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate
National Legislation
- Law No. 22 of 2006 on the Protection of Copyright and Neighboring Rights, as amended by Law No. 5 of 2014
Basic Information
- Works protected: Copyright protection covers literary, artistic and scientific works, including books and other written works, computer programs, databases, lectures, dramatic and musical works, audiovisual works, architectural works, drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs, applied art, maps and other works recognized under the Copyright Law.
- Computer programs and databases: Computer programs and databases are protected subject to the statutory requirements.
- Derivative works: Derivative works may be protected without prejudice to the rights in the underlying work.
- Exceptions to copyright protection: Copyright does not extend to ideas, procedures, methods of operation, mathematical concepts, principles and abstract facts. Certain official documents, news and current events and works that have entered the public domain are also excluded in accordance with the law.
- Duration of copyright: Economic rights of an author are protected during the author’s lifetime and for 70 years beginning on January 1 of the year following the author’s death.
- Joint works: Economic rights in joint works are protected for the lifetime of the authors and for 70 years following the death of the last surviving author.
- Collective and audiovisual works: Generally protected for 70 years from January 1 of the year following lawful publication, subject to the statutory rules where publication does not occur within the prescribed period.
- Registration: Copyright protection is principally automatic upon creation of a qualifying work; registration/deposit may nevertheless be available as an evidentiary or administrative measure.
- Registration timeframe: Dependent on the applicable registration/deposit procedure; no fixed statutory three-working-day timeframe comparable to the UAE regime was identified in the current Bahrain sources.
Filing Requirements
- Power of Attorney from the applicant – duly notarized and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate;
- Assignment deed executed by the author in favor of the applicant, duly notarized and legalized up to the Bahraini Consulate, if the applicant is not the author.
