Iraq (Baghdad): Comprehensive Fee Adjustments
The Iraqi Ministerial Council for Economy has issued Decision No. 26038 of 2026, which was officially published in the Iraqi Gazette (Al-Waqai’ Al-Iraqiya), Issue No. 4863, on March 30, 2026. This decision mandates an increase to the official fees for same trademarks services under Law No. 21 of 1957. While the decree is legally considered effective from its publication date, the Trademark Office in Baghdad has not yet established a specific date for the actual implementation and collection of these revised fees. JAH Intellectual Property is monitoring the situation closely and we will provide you with the updated fee schedules and the formal implementation date as soon as the administrative instructions are finalized by the authorities, while confirming that that JAH will maintain its professional charges.
Iraq (Kurdistan): Baghdad Trademark Extensions No Longer Valid Under New Reciprocity Rule in Kurdistan
The Kurdistan Trademark Directorate has officially announced the cancellation of all previous trademark validations and recognitions that were based on Baghdad trademark registrations. This directive applies retroactively to existing certificates as well as to all pending requests.
The Kurdistan Regional Government cited the principle of reciprocity for this decision, following a directive from the Council of Ministers in response to the lack of recognition for Kurdish trademarks by federal authorities in Baghdad. As a result, any validation certificates or official recognition letters previously issued by Kurdistan TM office are no longer legally binding. The Trademark Office has confirmed it will no longer issue confirmations or certificates regarding the validity of these prior arrangements.
To maintain enforceable intellectual property rights in the region, trademark owners must now pursue an independent TM registration process. All marks must undergo a full local filing cycle, which begins with a mandatory pre-filing search followed by a fresh TM application, publication and finally registration.
Sierra Leone Implements Trade Mark Regulations 2024: Key Updates and Procedural Guidance
Please be informed that Sierra Leone’s Trade Mark Regulations 2024, published as Statutory Instrument No. 19 of 2024, have come into effect as of January 2026. These Regulations update guidance on trade mark applications, oppositions, renewals, and recordal under the Trade Marks Act 2014.
Notably, the Regulations introduce a detailed framework for Madrid Protocol applications, including mandatory examination on absolute and relative grounds, a three-month deadline to respond to provisional refusals, the requirement to appoint a local representative, and a three-month opposition period from the date of WIPO notification applies for filing counterstatements. The Regulations also address replacement, transformation, division, and merger of international registrations. However, concerns remain regarding the validity and enforceability of IRs designating Sierra Leone due to the absence of explicit Madrid Protocol provisions in the primary legislation. In this regard, we recommend that applicants continue to seek protection through national protection, which presently offer a more certain and adequate means of securing trademark rights within Sierra Leone.
For national trademarks, the Regulations clarify procedural matters such as the acceptance of series applications, recognition of marks without color limits, multi-priority claims, and a three-month deadline for submitting priority documents. Renewal applications may be filed within six months of the expiry date, with published notice. Prescribed forms have been introduced for key procedures, meaning non-compliant filings may be rejected. Lastly, the regulation introduced new fees under the Finance Act 2026, which took effect in February 2026.
JAH Intellectual Property: Strategic Partnership and Publication Announcement
We are pleased to announce that our firm, JAH Intellectual Property, has been nominated as a Valued Contributor to Thomson Reuters Practical Law Global. This collaboration underscores our firm’s standing as a leading expert in Intellectual Property within the Middle East. In recognition of our firm’s expertise and contribution, JAH Intellectual Property has been awarded the “Practical Law Contributor” badge. we remain committed to collaborating with international legal providers to ensure our clients and Associates benefit from the most up-to-date and practical legal know-how in the region.
