Article 7 of the Saudi Geographical Indications Law
المادة 7 من نظام حماية المؤشرات الجغرافية · الفصل الثاني: تسجيل المؤشر الجغرافي
The 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجوز للهيئة أن تطلب من مقدم طلب تسجيل مؤشر جغرافي أجنبي تقديمَ شهادة مصادقة من الجهات المختصة في بلاده على صحة ما تضمنه طلب التسجيل، وذلك خلال مدة تحددها الهيئة، فإذا لم تُقدم تلك الشهادة خلال هذه المدة جاز للهيئة رفض الطلب.
2- تخضع طلبات التسجيل الدولية المودعة لدى الهيئة بموجب الاتفاقيات الدولية، التي تكون المملكة طرفًا فيها، للإجراءات والأحكام الخاصة بهذه الاتفاقيات.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 7 explained in plain English
This article deals with two special provisions for applications coming from outside the Kingdom.
First: authentication certificate for a foreign indication
- The Authority may ask the applicant for registration of a foreign geographical indication to provide an authentication certificate from the competent authorities in his country on the correctness of what the application contains.
- The certificate is provided within a period set by the Authority.
- If it is not provided within that period, the Authority may reject the application.
The wording is discretionary in both places: requesting the certificate is not mandatory in every case, and rejection for failure to provide it is something the Authority may do, not automatic.
Second: international applications
Applications filed with the Authority under international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party are subject to the procedures and provisions of those agreements.
It is preceded by Article 6, which requires the application for a foreign indication to include what proves its protection and use in the country of origin and what proves that the applicant owns the right to use it or is the competent body supervising it; the authentication certificate is an additional means of verifying this. It is followed by Article 8, which sets out the elements of the usage guide.
Practical example
A foreign body supervising a geographical indication in its country applied to register it in the Kingdom, and the Authority asked it for an authentication certificate from the competent authorities in its country within a period it set. If the period passes without the certificate being provided, the Authority may reject the application.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 7 of the Saudi Geographical Indications Law
Does the Authority require an authentication certificate to register a foreign geographical indication?
It may request an authentication certificate from the competent authorities in the applicant's country on the correctness of what the application contains, within a period it sets.
What happens if the authentication certificate is not provided on time?
The Authority may reject the application.
Which provisions apply to international applications?
They are subject to the procedures and provisions of the international agreements under which they were filed and to which the Kingdom is a party.
More articles on Applying to Register a Geographical Indication
- Article 4
The 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.
تُعِد الهيئة سجلًا للمؤشرات الجغرافية تسجل فيه المؤشرات الجغرافية وعناصرها وطلبات تسجيلها، والتصرفات التي ترد عليها، والبيانات اللازمة، بموجب النظام واللائحة.
- Article 6
The 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.
يقدم طلب تسجيل المؤشر الجغرافي إلى الهيئة بالنموذج المعد لذلك، متضمنًا ما يأتي: 1- ما يُبيّن أن المـنتَج يرتبط بمنطقة جغرافية معينة، وأن نوعيته أو شهرته أو سمات
- Article 8
The 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.
يجب أن يتضمن دليل الاستعمال العناصر والبيانات الآتية: 1- اسم المـنتَج. 2- وصف المـنتَج، مع بيان خصائصه ونوعيته والعناصر الداخلة في تركيبته، والمنطقة الجغرافية ل
- Article 9
The 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.
تفحص الهيئة طلب تسجيل المؤشر الجغرافي؛ للتحقق من استيفائه الشروط المحددة بموجب النظام واللائحة، وتصدر قرارها بقبول الطلب أو رفضه، وفي حال الرفض فعلى الهيئة إبلا
- Article 25
The Regulations determine the fee for the services the Authority provides under the Law and the Regulations.
تحدد اللائحة المقابل المالي عن الخدمات التي تقدمها الهيئة بموجب أحكام النظام واللائحة.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.