In force
Saudi Geographical Indications Law
نظام حماية المؤشرات الجغرافية
Protects geographical indications in Saudi Arabia, including registration conditions and procedure, use and duration of protection, cancellation, enforcement, provisional measures and penalties. It concerns producers and traders of regional products.
- Articles
- 27
- In force
- 27
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 26/5/1447 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم (م/102) وتاريخ 1447/5/26هـ · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (360) وتاريخ 1447/5/20هـ
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Geographical Indications Law by topic
Scope of Geographical Indications Protection6 articlesConditions for Registering a Geographical Indication2 articlesApplying to Register a Geographical Indication6 articlesGrievances Against Registration Decisions2 articlesUse and Duration of Protection2 articlesCancelling a Geographical Indication1 articleEnforcement of Geographical Indications5 articlesProvisional Measures1 articlePenalties for Infringing Geographical Indications3 articles
Articles of the Saudi Geographical Indications Law
الفصل الأول: التعريفات والأهداف ونطاق الحمايةArticles 1–3
- Article 1The article defines the key terms of the Geographical Indications Protection Law, such as geographical indication, product, producer, specification, register and committee.
- Article 2The Law aims to protect the geographical indications set out in Article 3 and to prevent unauthorized persons from exploiting or imitating them in a way that misleads consumers about the products' source.
- Article 3The article sets out the indications that receive protection: national indications entered in the register, foreign indications protected and registered in their country of origin, and foreign indications protected under international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party.
الفصل الثاني: تسجيل المؤشر الجغرافيArticles 4–15
- Article 4The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property prepares a register of geographical indications in which the indications, their elements, registration applications, dispositions on them and necessary data are entered.
- Article 5The article explains that a geographical indication is determined by natural or human factors, and requires that it not conflict with public order, the Kingdom's obligations, or trademarks registered in good faith, among other conditions.
- Article 6The registration application is submitted to the Authority on the prescribed form, including proof of the product's tie to its region, documents for a foreign indication, the usage guide, and anything the Regulations specify.
- Article 7The Authority may request an authentication certificate for a foreign indication within a period it sets and may reject the application if it is not provided; international applications follow their agreements' procedures.
- Article 8The usage guide must contain the product name, its description, characteristics and production region, a description of the production method, and any other elements set by the Regulations.
- Article 9The Authority examines the registration application and issues a decision accepting or rejecting it, notifies the applicant of a rejection with reasons, and the Regulations set the procedures and periods.
- Article 10The Authority may issue a decision registering a national geographical indication that the producer has not applied to register, as set by the Regulations and subject to the conditions in Article 5.
- Article 11A committee is formed for grievances against decisions on registration, rejection and cancellation of indications; an applicant whose application is rejected may file a grievance within 60 days, then object before the competent court within 60 days.
- Article 12Registration gives the applicant no exclusive right; all producers in the region may use the indication on a product meeting the usage guide, and amendment of the guide may be requested.
- Article 13The registration period of a geographical indication is ten years from the date the approval is published, and it may be renewed according to the procedures the Regulations set.
- Article 14The article sets out the cases of cancelling an indication by court judgment at an interested party's request, the Authority's cancellation of a foreign indication, the grievance route, and when cancellation is made public.
- Article 15The Authority issues a list of geographical indications protected under the Law and Regulations or international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party, and it is available for inspection free of charge.
الفصل الثالث: إجراءات الضبط والتحقيق والمحاكمةArticles 16–19
- Article 16Inspectors named by a decision of the Authority's board of directors detect violations of the Law and the Regulations and have law-enforcement capacity.
- Article 17Officials and employees at places to be inspected must enable inspectors and provide facilities, information and documents, and the Authority may call on competent bodies to carry out its decisions.
- Article 18The Public Prosecution handles the investigation and prosecution of the criminal case for violations of the Law and the Regulations before the competent court.
- Article 19The competent court hears violations, disputes and compensation claims arising from applying the Law and its Regulations.
الفصل الرابع: الإجراءات التحفظيةArticles 20–20
الفصل الخامس: العقوباتArticles 21–23
- Article 21Anyone who intentionally commits unlawful commercial use or imitation of a geographical indication, imitation of a product's renowned features, or unfair competition faces prison and a fine, doubled for repeat offenses.
- Article 22A repeat offender is anyone who commits the violation again within three years of the judgment becoming final.
- Article 23Once any act in Article 21 is established, the court may confiscate the tools and machines used and destroy the products at the convicted person's expense or dispose of them through non-commercial channels after removing the violation.
الفصل السادس: أحكام ختاميةArticles 24–27
- Article 24The Authority may use any other government body, after agreement with it, or the private sector to carry out any task assigned to it, without prejudice to those bodies' powers.
- Article 25The Regulations determine the fee for the services the Authority provides under the Law and the Regulations.
- Article 26The Authority's board issues the Implementing Regulations of the Law within 180 days of the Law's publication.
- Article 27The Geographical Indications Protection Law takes effect 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.