Iraq-Baghdad: Legalized Power of Attorney is Required for Annuity Payments via New Agents

The Iraqi Patent Office now strictly requires a newly legalized POA for all patent and industrial design annuity payments when the agent processing the renewal is not the original agent of record. Consequently, any newly appointed agent handling a renewal fee must submit an original, fully legalized POA and pay an additional official filing fee of 100,000 Iraqi Dinars (85 USD) to record the new POA in the existing file.

To facilitate compliance while maintaining rights, the Iraqi Patent Office has introduced a revised operational mechanism regarding annuity payments under which the renewal application can now be submitted within the statutory deadline without submitting the legalized POA upfront, thereby safeguarding the registration against immediate cancellation for non-renewal. However, the official renewal fee payment will remain blocked until the original, fully legalized POA is submitted, which must be completed within a strict 30-day window from the initial renewal filing date.

Iraq-Kurdistan: Trademark Validity Terms

The Directorate of Trademarks in Kurdistan has refined its administrative implementation policies, establishing the original filing date of a trademark as the sole benchmark for determining its legal protection term. Under this updated operational practice, trademark applications filed on or after January 1, 2023, receive a 15-year validity period upon registration and will be eligible for 15-year terms upon future renewal. Conversely, all trademarks filed prior to January 1, 2023, will continue to receive 10-year registration certificates, and all renewal certificates currently being processed remain restricted to a 10-year protection term. This administrative mechanism remains in effect pending formal legislative action by the regional parliament.

We are monitoring the situation very closely and shall inform you of any further regulatory updates.

Saudi Arabia: Declaration of Individual Fees Under the Madrid Protocol

Following to our earlier circular regarding Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Madrid Protocol, kindly note that the WIPO has issued the Information Notice No. 37/2026 which confirms the individual fees paid to the KSA effective October 8, 2026. The standard application and renewal fees will be 1,397 CHF (approx. 1,734 USD) per class. Collective or certification mark applications will cost 1,719 CHF (approx. 2,134 USD) per class, while late renewals paid during the grace period will cost 1,612 CHF (2,001 USD) per class. These rates apply to all international designations and renewals processed on or after October 8, 2026.

Gaza: TM Renewal Penalty-Free Window Extended to 17 October 2026

Further to our previous circulars on trademark renewals in Gaza-Palestine, please be advised that the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy has issued a third administrative circular (Administrative Decision No. 154 of 2026, dated 16 September 2026, published 17 September 2026), further extending the penalty-free renewal window for Gaza trademarks until 17 October 2026.

It should be noted that this Penalty-Free Window is meant only for the trademarks that were due for renewal when the TM office was not operational which run from 07 October 2026 till 2 July 2026. As previously highlighted, the Palestinian trademarks law maintains a statutory one-month grace period, and in practice, trademarks remain renewable even after the penalty-free window closes, until the Registrar formally serves a mandatory cancellation notice on the applicant or their recorded agent of service, with a final one-month response window running from the date of notification.

Zambia: Transition to Digital Issuance of Intellectual Property Registration Certificates

Effective August 19, 2026, the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) in Zambia has officially discontinued the issuance and printing of physical certificates of all new registration certificates across all major intellectual property categories, namely Copyrights, Trade Marks, Patents, and Industrial Designs. Henceforth, all registration certificates will be generated electronically which will be accredited by the Zambian TM Registry in its electronic form. Meanwhile, this transition to digital format applies strictly to original certificates of registration as PACRA still issues certificates for renewals and documents pertaining to recordals in the standard printed format for the time being.

UAE: Ministry Recognition for Firm Leadership

We are proud to share that our CEO, Mr. Jehad Ali E Hasan, has received an official Certificate of Appreciation from the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism for his active involvement, valuable insights, and constructive recommendations delivered during the ministerial Customers Council session. This commendation underscores our firm’s ongoing commitment to shaping government services and fostering strong public-private partnerships in the IP ecosystem.