Syria Office

The Law No. 8 of 2007 for protection of “Trademarks, Geographical Indications, Industrial Drawings and Designs” entered into force on April 12, 2007.

Single class system for trademark applications is adopted in Syria, i.e., each class relating to the same trademark should be covered by separate application.

The Property Protection Office may request in writing the applicant to include any conditions or amendments to clarify the mark in a manner that prevents confusion with another right previously registered, or for which an application for registration was filed. The amendment should be made within 3 months from the date of notification.

The applicant, whose application was rejected or suspended pending certain conditions or amendments, may object in writing to the decision of the Property Protection Office mentioned to the competent ad hoc committee within 30 days from the date on which the decision was served to him in writing, in return for payment of the assigned fee.

If the ad hoc committee rejects the applicant’s objection, the applicant can appeal before the competent court within 30 days from the date on which the ad hoc committee’s decision has been served to him in writing.

Accepted applications fulfilling the stipulated requirements shall be published in the property protection journal for opposition by the public.

Any interested party may object in writing to the application for the registration of a mark to the Property Protection Office after payment of the specified fee within 90 days of the date of publication. The Property Protection Office shall inform the applicant or his agent of the objection during a period of 30 days from the date of receipt.

The applicant or his agent shall submit to the Property Protection Office a written and grounded response to that objection within 30 days from the date of being informed of the objection. Otherwise, the applicant shall be considered as waived his application.

The Property Protection Office shall issue a grounded decision on the objection either accepting or rejecting the registration, after studying the documents submitted by the parties of the dispute and hearing their arguments. The Office may include in its acceptance a decision that obliges the applicant to implement the requirements, as it deems necessary for the registration of a mark. The Property Protection Office shall notify both parties of its decision.

The Property Protection Office’s decision can be appealed before the ad hoc committee within 30 days from the date of notification. The decision of the ad hoc committee may be appealed before the competent court within 30 days from the date of notification.

Syria is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, and it follows the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks under the Nice Agreement.