Article 11 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 11 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تقوم الإدارة بنشر طلبات براءات الاختراع، والبراءات النباتية خلال ثمانية عشر شهرًا من تاريخ إيداع الطلب، بعد دفع المقابل المالي المقرر.
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 11 explained in plain English
This article addresses the publication of applications, a stage at which the application becomes known to the public before it is decided.
- What is published? Only applications for patents and applications for plant patents; the article does not mention applications for design certificates or industrial models.
- When? Within 18 months of the filing date of the application.
- On what condition? After the prescribed fee is paid.
- Who publishes? The Administration.
This is linked to the definition of "the Bulletin" in Article 2, the periodical issued on everything relating to the subjects of protection under the law and its Regulations. The article itself does not specify the means of publication or its content, leaving these details to the Regulations.
What does this mean in practice? The applicant knows that the application will not remain secret indefinitely and that its details may become available to the public within this period. This makes the filing date and the right of priority regulated by Article 10 important, because they determine who has priority. The Administration then begins the formal examination under Article 12.
To plan the timing of filing and publication to suit your business, you can consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
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 11 of the Saudi Patents Law
When is a patent application published?
The Administration publishes it within 18 months of the filing date of the application, after the prescribed fee is paid.
Are applications for industrial models also published under this article?
The article mentions only applications for patents and plant patents.
Is a fee required for publication?
Yes. Publication takes place after the prescribed fee is paid.
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 10
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.
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،
- 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.