Article 10 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 10 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
The article lets an applicant benefit from the priority of an earlier application within 12 months for patents and plant varieties and 6 months for industrial models, on specified conditions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ - يحق لمقدم الطلب الاستفادة من الأسبقية المقررة لطلب سابق، أودع خلال فترة الأسبقية المحددة لكل موضوع من موضوعات الحماية، اعتبارًا من تاريخ إيداع الطلب السابق، بشرط أن يرافقه إقرار مكتوب مبين فيه تاريخ الطلب السابق، ورقمه، والجهة التي أودع فيها هو أو سلفه هذا الطلب، وعليه أن يقدم صورة من الطلب السابق، معتمدة من الجهة التي تقدم إليها بطلب الحماية، خلال تسعين يومًا من تاريخ إيداع الطلب لدى الإدارة.
ب - تكون فترة الأسبقية لبراءات الاختراع والأصناف النباتية اثني عشر شهرًا.
ج - تكون فترة الأسبقية للنموذج الصناعي ستة أشهر.
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 10 explained in plain English
This article regulates the right of priority, under which an applicant benefits from the date of an earlier application filed by the applicant or the applicant's predecessor with another body, so that the application is treated by reference to that earlier date.
The priority period is counted from the filing date of the earlier application, and is:
- 12 months for patents and plant varieties (paragraph B).
- 6 months for industrial models (paragraph C).
The article does not mention a priority period for layout designs of integrated circuits.
Conditions for benefiting (paragraph A):
- The application must have been filed within the priority period specified for the subject of protection.
- It must be accompanied by a written declaration stating the date of the earlier application, its number, and the body with which the applicant or the applicant's predecessor filed that application.
- The applicant must provide a copy of the earlier application, certified by the body to which it was submitted, within 90 days of the date of filing the application with the Administration.
This article is connected with Article 9, which does not allow an amendment to go beyond what was disclosed in the original application, and Article 11, which regulates publishing patent applications within 18 months of the filing date.
Missing any of these deadlines may forfeit the priority, so it is advisable to follow them up with a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
Practical example
A start-up filed a patent application in another country in the month of Muharram, then filed an application in the Kingdom eight months later with a written declaration of the earlier application's date, number and body. It benefits from the priority because it is within the 12-month period, provided a certified copy of the earlier application is provided within 90 days of filing its application with the Administration.
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 10 of the Saudi Patents Law
What is the priority period for a patent?
12 months from the filing date of the earlier application, the same period as for plant varieties.
What is the priority period for an industrial model?
Six months.
What is required to claim priority?
A written declaration of the date, number and body of the earlier application, and a certified copy of the earlier application within 90 days of filing the application with the Administration.
More articles on Patent Registration
- Article 8
The article regulates filing an application for a protection document on a prepared form, what is required if it is filed by someone other than the inventor, and recording the application once the requirements are met and the fee is paid.
يقدم طلب منح وثيقة الحماية إلى الإدارة على نموذج يعد لذلك، وتحدد اللائحة المعلومات والوثائق المطلوب إرفاقها بالطلب. وإذا كان الطلب مقدمًا من غير من توصل إلى موض
- Article 9
The article lets the applicant make whatever amendments the applicant sees fit to the application, provided they do not go beyond what was disclosed in the original application.
يجوز لمقدم الطلب أن يدخل ما يراه من تعديلات على الطلب، على ألا تتجاوز هذه التعديلات ما كشف عنه في الطلب الأصلي.
- Article 11
The article requires the Administration to publish applications for patents and plant patents within 18 months of the filing date, after the prescribed fee is paid.
تقوم الإدارة بنشر طلبات براءات الاختراع، والبراءات النباتية خلال ثمانية عشر شهرًا من تاريخ إيداع الطلب، بعد دفع المقابل المالي المقرر.
- Article 12
The article requires the Administration to examine recorded applications formally, gives the applicant at most 90 days to complete any missing requirements, failing which the application is treated as if it had not been filed.
تقوم الإدارة بفحص الطلبات المسجلة من الناحية الشكلية، وإذا تبين من الفحص عدم استيفاء بعض الشروط المقررة نظامًا، فلها أن تكلف مقدم الطلب باستيفائها خلال تسعين يو
- Article 13
The article provides that the substantive examination of an application for a patent or plant patent begins once it has been examined formally, as the Regulations specify.
إذا تم فحص طلب براءة الاختراع، أو البراءة النباتية من الناحية الشكلية؛ يبدأ بفحصه موضوعيًّا، طبقًا لما تبينه اللائحة.
- Article 14
The article requires the Administration to issue and publish a decision granting the protection document if the application meets the conditions, or to prepare a reasoned decision of refusal and notify the applicant.
أ - إذا تبين للإدارة أن الطلب قد استوفى الشروط المقررة فإنها تصدر قرارًا بمنح وثيقة الحماية، وينشر القرار بترتيب صدوره من الإدارة. ب - إذا تبين للإدارة عدم أحقي
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.