Oman is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and follows the Nice International Classification of Goods and Services. A separate application must be filed for each class of goods or services.
Upon filing, the mark is examined for registrability. The Registrar may object in writing to certain elements of the mark during examination — such as the scope of goods or services — or may require amendment of the mark. Accepted trademark and service mark applications are published once in the Official Gazette and in a local newspaper. It is essential to define the list of goods and services precisely at filing to avoid potential objections; the same applies to renewal applications. Publication serves as an invitation to interested parties to oppose registrations that conflict with their interests; oppositions must be filed within the prescribed 60-day period from publication in the Official Gazette.
Protection runs for 10 years from the filing date and is renewable for equal periods. The law grants a six-month grace period for late renewal applications against a fine, and renewals are published in the Official Gazette.
Use is not a condition for filing or maintaining a registration in Oman. However, the mark becomes vulnerable to cancellation by any interested party who proves continuous non-use for three years, unless the owner presents an acceptable excuse. A registration becomes incontestable once the mark has been used for three consecutive years from registration without any successful legal action against it during that period.
The following are offences punishable by law: unauthorised use of a registered mark; imitation of a mark and its application to goods or services in the same class; sale, possession with intent to sell, or offering for sale of goods bearing a forged mark; and use of a duly registered mark of another for unauthorised promotion of goods or services in the same class.
Trademark/Service Mark Applications
Download the Mobile App
