We are thrilled to inform you that our firm, JAH Intellectual Property, has been awarded the prestigious “Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year in Qatar – 2025” by Global Law Experts (GLE). This recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to providing exceptional intellectual property legal services to our clients and associates.  We remain committed to providing the highest quality of intellectual Property services and look forward to continuing to serve your IP needs.

Thank you for being a part of our journey.

Meanwhile, we would like to inform you of the latest updates in our part of the world.

Patent Filing Impasse in Aden, Yemen

Filing and grant of patents in Aden-Yemen is still not possible. The Aden Patent Office lacks the requisite expertise and technical resources for the examination of patent applications. Specifically, the Patent Office has indicated that it refers patent applications to Aden University for examination, which also does not possess the qualified expertise necessary for the substantive examination of international technical patents. Furthermore, the Aden Patent Office has stipulated that patent applications must be submitted in person by the inventor and cannot be filed through an authorized agent which emphasizes the lack of handling patents in this jurisdiction.

Kindly note that we have engaged in extensive and constructive discussions with the Aden Patent Office in an effort to identify a viable solution to these impediments. We will continue to monitor the situation and will promptly inform you of any developments or changes in the Patent Office’s procedures that may facilitate patent filing and Grant in Aden.

Bahrain Accelerates Patent Approvals with New International Agreements:

The Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce has signed agreements with South Korea and the European Patent Offices to streamline patent approvals. These agreements introduce the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program, which is crucial for businesses.

The PPH allows for faster patent processing by leveraging existing approvals from partner patent offices. If a patent is approved in South Korea or Europe, it can be expedited in Bahrain, and vice versa. This reduces duplication of effort and significantly shortens the time it takes to secure patent protection, making Bahrain a more attractive market for innovation and investment.

Namibia Provisional refusals for IR trademarks:

When designating Namibia through an IR application, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) has 12 months to issue an examination report reflecting acceptance or provisional refusal.  If BIPA misses this deadline and issues the office action after the 12-month period, applicants can argue that the IR must be automatically accepted, and BIPA should issue a registration certificate. However, while legally sound, BIPA strongly resists this approach. Instead, they consistently state that they will only issue a registration certificate if the International Registration was published locally in Namibia. On the other hand, If BIPA issues the office action within the 12-month window, applicants must respond, arrange for the IR to be published, and then request registration. The major hurdle currently is that BIPA lacks a system to generate registration certificates for IRs. They do not have a template, so despite fulfilling all requirements, no IRs are being registered at present.