Country Data
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Sultanate of Oman |
| Capital | Muscat |
| Area | 309,980 sq. km |
| Population | 5,494,691 (2025 estimate) |
| Official Language | Arabic |
| GDP | US$220.452 billion (PPP, 2024 estimate) |
| Currency | Omani Rial |
| Work Days | Sunday – Thursday |
Conventions/ Treaties
- Paris Convention (effective since July 14, 1999)
- WIPO Convention (effective since February 19, 1997)
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (effective since October 26, 2001)
- Berne Convention (effective since July 14, 1999)
- Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (effective since March 4, 2009)
- Madrid Protocol (effective since October 16, 2007)
- Patent Law Treaty (effective since October 16, 2007)
- Trademark Law Treaty (effective since October 16, 2007)
- WIPO Copyright Treaty (effective since September 20, 2005)
- WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (effective since September 20, 2005)
- Budapest Treaty (effective since October 16, 2007)
- UPOV Convention (effective since November 22, 2009)
- Brussels Convention relating to the Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite (effective since March 18, 2008)
- TRIPS Agreement / WTO (Oman became a WTO member on November 9, 2000)
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Oman is a member of the GCC and applies the GCC
National Legislation
- Royal Decree No. 33/2017 promulgating the GCC Trademark Law/System, as applicable in Oman. The GCC Trademark Law is supplemented by the Omani implementing framework and administrative procedures.
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Creation of rights | Registration is the principal basis for trademark ownership, although prior use may give rise to certain rights and grounds for challenge. A bona fide earlier user may, subject to statutory conditions, challenge a later registration. |
| Basis for filing | Prior use is not a prerequisite to filing or registration. |
| Well-known marks | Special protection is available to well-known marks. Registration in Oman is nevertheless strongly recommended. |
| Types of marks | Trademarks, service marks, collective marks and certification marks, among others permitted under the GCC Trademark Law. |
| Priority | 6-month priority claim under the Paris Convention. |
| Madrid System | Oman has been a member of the Madrid Protocol since October 16, 2007. |
| Filing system | Applications may be filed for one or more classes under the GCC Trademark Law; however, the current Omani government portal provides separate services for products/services belonging to a single class, so current filing practice should be confirmed at the time of filing. |
| Classification | Nice Classification. |
| Applicant | Natural and legal persons satisfying the statutory requirements, including Omani/GCC nationals, qualifying foreign residents/businesses, nationals/residents of countries party to applicable international conventions, and government entities. |
| Examination | Examination on formal and substantive grounds, including registrability and conflict with earlier rights. |
| Publication | Accepted applications are published in the Official Gazette / prescribed publication medium. |
| Opposition period | 90 days from publication. |
| Duration of registration | 10 years from the filing date, renewable for further periods of 10 years. |
| Renewal grace period | 6 months following expiry, subject to payment of the applicable late fee. |
| Use requirement | A registration may be vulnerable to cancellation where the mark has not been seriously used for 5 consecutive years, unless there is a legitimate justification for non-use. |
| Registration timeframe | Approximately 6–12 months or longer, depending on examination, publication, opposition and administrative processing. This should be treated as an estimate rather than a statutory timeframe. |
Search
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Official Search | Available through the Omani IP system. |
| Scope of search | Searches may be conducted against applications and registrations recorded in the trademark database |
| Turnaround time | 2 Approximately 1–3 working days, subject to the availability and response time of the Omani IP Office / electronic system |
Ways to obtain protection
- Filing of a national application in Oman, with or without a priority claim under the Paris Convention.
- Filing through the Madrid System, designating Oman
Documentary Requirements
New Applications
- Power of Attorney from the applicant – duly notarized and legalized up to the Omani consulate.
- A simple copy of trade license, if the applicant is an Oman company,
- A certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
Renewal of Registration
- Power of attorney from the trademark owner – duly notarized up to the Omani consulate.
- A copy of certificate of registration of the mark.
Change of Name / Address Recordation
- Power of attorney stating the new name/ address of the trademark owner – duly notarized and legalized up to the Omani consulate.
- Change of Name / Address document – duly legalized up to the Omani consulate.
Assignment Recordation
- Power of attorney from the Assignee – duly notarized and legalized up to the Omani consulate.
- Deed of Assignment, duly signed by both the assignor and the assignee – notarized/ legalized up to the Omani 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 Omani consulate.
- Merger document – duly legalized up to the Omani 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 Omani consulate.
- License agreement, duly signed by both the parties – notarized/ legalized up to the Omani consulate.
- A copy of certificate of registration of the mark.
National Legislation
- Royal Decree No. 67/2008, promulgating the Law on Industrial Property Rights, together with its implementing regulations.
- The law covers patents, utility models, industrial designs and other industrial property rights.
Ways to obtain patent protection:
- National filing in Oman.
- PCT national phase application in Oman.
- A Paris Convention priority claim may be made in a national application
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Claims admissible for | Product and process inventions. |
| Patentability requirements | The invention must be new, involve an inventive step and be industrially applicable. |
| Novelty requirement | Absolute novelty is generally required. |
| Excluded subject matter | The law excludes, among other things, discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods; certain business methods and purely mental activities; certain natural substances; certain biological subject matter; and inventions whose commercial exploitation would be contrary to public order or morality. |
| Convention priority | Available for 12 months under the Paris Convention. |
| PCT national phase entry deadline | 30 months from the priority date under both PCT Articles 22 and 39. |
| Language for national phase | Arabic translation is required for the PCT national phase application. |
| Search | Patent information may be searched through the Omani IP system, including published/granted patent information. |
| Examination | Substantive examination is available and covers the relevant patentability requirements, including novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. An examination request is required within the applicable statutory period. For PCT national-phase applications, the current PCT Applicant’s Guide states that examination must be requested within 60 days from national-phase entry or 36 months from the international filing date, whichever expires later. |
| Publication | Patent applications are subject to publication in accordance with the Industrial Property Rights Law and implementing regulations. |
| Opposition/complaint | Interested persons may challenge the grant in accordance with the applicable statutory procedure. The earlier patent legislation provided for a 60-day period from publication; the current Industrial Property Rights framework and implementing practice should be checked for the particular application. |
| Protection term | 20 years from the filing date. The law also provides for possible term adjustment where grant is delayed beyond specified periods for reasons outside the applicant’s control. |
| Annuity payment | Annual fees are payable in advance, beginning one year after the filing date. This applies to pending applications as well as granted patents. |
| Grace period for late annuity payment | 6 months, subject to the prescribed surcharge. |
| Working / Compulsory License | Omani law provides for compulsory licensing and other measures concerning exploitation of patented inventions in accordance with the statutory requirements. |
| Patent grant timeframe | The overall timeframe can vary considerably depending on examination and prosecution. A straightforward application should generally be expected to take several years, rather than a few months. |
Requirements
-
Patent specification, claims, drawings (if any), and abstract.
-
Arabic translation as required by the applicable filing procedure.
-
Details of the applicant and inventor(s).
-
Certificate of incorporation/commercial registration or equivalent corporate document, where applicable.
-
Assignment of invention/patent rights from the inventor(s) to the applicant, where the applicant is not the inventor.
-
Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
-
Power of Attorney where an Omani patent agent is appointed.
-
For non-resident applicants, appointment of an agent is required. Under the current PCT national-phase guidance, a non-resident applicant must appoint an agent and the Power of Attorney should be filed within 60 days from filing of the application.
For a PCT National-Phase Application
The following should additionally be available:
-
Copy of the international application/publication.
-
International application specification, claims, drawings and abstract.
-
Arabic translation of the international application as required.
-
International Search Report.
-
International Preliminary Report on Patentability / relevant international preliminary examination documentation, where applicable.
-
Power of Attorney for the Omani agent.
The national phase deadline is 30 months from the priority date.
Utility Models
Oman also provides protection for utility models under the Industrial Property Rights Law.
Protection term: 10 years from the filing date.
Conversion: A patent application may, subject to the statutory requirements, be converted into a utility-model application, and a utility-model application may similarly be converted into a patent application before grant/refusal.
Annual fees: Annual maintenance fees apply during the protection period.
National Legislation
- Royal Decree No. 67/2008, promulgating the Law on Industrial Property Rights, together with its implementing regulations
Ways to obtain protection for design:
- National filing in Oman.
- National application with a priority claim under the Paris Convention.
- International registration through the Hague System, as Oman is a contracting party to the Hague Agreement
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Types of designs | Two-dimensional and three-dimensional industrial designs, including combinations of lines, colours, shapes and other features giving an industrial or handicraft product a distinctive appearance. |
| Novelty | Novelty is a prerequisite. An industrial design is registrable if it has not previously been disclosed to the public, and it must be new in accordance with the statutory test. |
| Public disclosure | Prior public disclosure can destroy novelty, subject to the statutory provisions concerning priority and the six-month period applicable under Article 20. |
| Industrial applicability | The design must relate to an industrial or handicraft product. |
| Convention priority | 6-month priority may be claimed under the Paris Convention. |
| Locarno Classification | Oman is not currently listed as a contracting party to the Locarno Agreement. Accordingly, the UAE statement regarding Locarno accession should not be carried over to Oman. |
| Hague System | Oman has been a contracting party to the Hague Agreement since March 4, 2009. |
| Examination | Applications are examined for compliance with the formal and substantive requirements, including novelty and registrability. |
| Publication | Upon acceptance, the application/registration is published in the Official Gazette in accordance with the applicable procedure. |
| Deferred publication | The applicant may request that publication of the industrial design be deferred for a period not exceeding 12 months from the filing or priority date. |
| Protection term | 5 years from the filing date, renewable for two further consecutive periods of 5 years, giving a maximum protection period of 15 years. |
| Renewal | Renewal is available for two additional five-year periods. |
| Renewal grace period | 6 months, subject to payment of the prescribed surcharge. |
| Registration timeframe | The timeframe varies according to examination and publication. A straightforward case should generally be expected to take several months, although processing times may vary. |
Requirements
- Representations of the design, including drawings and/or photographs.
- Description of the product incorporating the design.
- Indication of the type/category of product for which the design is intended.
- Applicant details.
- Certificate of incorporation/commercial registration, where applicable.
- Assignment deed executed by the creator/designer in favour of the applicant, where the applicant is not the creator.
- Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
- Power of Attorney where an Omani agent is appointed.
National Legislation
- Royal Decree No. 65/2008, promulgating the Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights, together with its implementing regulations. The law entered into force on May 18, 2008
Basic Information
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Works protected | Copyright protection extends to original literary, artistic and scientific works, including:Books, booklets, articles, pamphlets and other written works;Computer programs and databases;Lectures, speeches, discussions and other oral works;Dramatic, dramatic-musical and choreographic works and pantomimes;Musical compositions, with or without words;Audio-visual works;Works of drawing, painting, architecture and sculpture;Lithographic and similar works;Photographic works;Works of applied and plastic arts, whether handcrafted or industrial;Illustrations, geographical maps, plans and sketches;Three-dimensional works relating to geography, topography or architecture;Derivative works;Creative collections and compilations of works or data; andCreative titles of works.These categories are expressly addressed in Articles 2 and 3 of the Omani Copyright Law. |
| Exceptions to copyright protection | Copyright protection does not extend to:Mere ideas;Procedures and methods of work;Mathematical concepts;Principles;Discoveries;Data as such;Official documents, including laws, regulations, decisions, agreements, international conventions, judicial orders and judgments, together with official translations; andNews of the day and current events that constitute merely journalistic information.Creative compilation or arrangement of otherwise unprotected material may itself qualify for protection. |
| Copyright registration | Copyright arises automatically upon creation of a qualifying work; registration/deposit may nevertheless be used as an evidentiary and recordal mechanism. |
| Duration of copyright | For ordinary works, economic rights are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years, calculated from the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year following the author’s death. |
| Joint works | The economic rights in joint works are protected for the life of the authors plus 70 years from the beginning of the Gregorian year following the death of the last surviving author. |
| Audio-visual and collective works | Economic rights generally have a 95-year term from the beginning of the Gregorian year following first lawful publication, subject to the alternative term rules contained in the law. |
| Anonymous/pseudonymous works | Generally protected for 95 years from the beginning of the Gregorian year following first lawful publication, subject to the statutory provisions where the author’s identity becomes known. |
| Applied arts | Generally protected for 95 years from the beginning of the Gregorian year following first lawful publication, subject to the statutory alternative term where the work remains unpublished. |
Requirements
-
For copyright recordal/deposit, the following should generally be prepared:
-
Application/request for copyright registration or deposit.
-
Copy or specimen of the copyrighted work.
-
Applicant/right-holder details.
-
Power of Attorney, where filed through an authorized representative.
-
Assignment deed or other evidence of transfer of rights where the applicant is not the author/right holder.
-
Corporate documents where the applicant is a legal entity.
-
Any additional information required by the Ministry/IP Office for the particular type of work.
The Omani Government currently lists intellectual-property services through the national Gov.om platform, including copyright and neighboring-rights services alongside trademark, patent and industrial-design services.
Registration timeframe: The precise processing period should be confirmed with the National Intellectual Property Office for the particular copyright deposit/registration service.
