Article 18 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 18 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
The article imposes an annual fee on a protection application or document, doubled if late by three months, with the application or document lapsing on non-payment after a warning.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ - يستحق على طلب الحماية، أو وثيقة الحماية مقابل مالي سنوي – طبقًا للجدول المرفق بهذا النظام – يجب سداده في بداية كل سنة، اعتبارًا من السنة التالية لتاريخ إيداع الطلب.
وإذا لم يقم مقدم الطلب، أو مالك الوثيقة بسداده في موعد أقصاه ثلاثة أشهر من تاريخ استحقاقه؛ استحق عليه مقابل مالي مضاعف. فإذا لم يقم بسداده بعد إنذاره خلال الثلاثة أشهر التالية لانقضاء الثلاثة أشهر الأولى؛ سقط الطلب، أو وثيقة الحماية، ويسجل ذلك في السجل، ويعلن عنه في النشرة.
ب - يجوز لمقدم الطلب، بعد دفعه المقابل المالي المقرر لثلاث سنوات دون أن يتم منحه الحماية؛ تأجيل سداد المقابل المالي للسنوات اللاحقة حتى صدور قرار منح وثيقة الحماية.
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 18 explained in plain English
This article regulates the annual fee, a continuing obligation on the holder of an application or document.
Due date: an annual fee is due on a protection application or a protection document according to the schedule attached to the law, and it must be paid at the start of each year, beginning with the year following the filing date of the application.
On late payment:
- If it is not paid within three months at most of the due date, a doubled fee becomes due.
- If it is not paid after the person is warned, within the three months following the end of the first three months, the application or document lapses, and this is recorded in the register and announced in the Bulletin.
Deferring payment (paragraph B): if the applicant has paid the prescribed fee for three years and has not yet been granted protection, the applicant may defer payment of the fee for the following years until the decision granting the protection document is issued.
The article does not state the fee amounts, which are in the schedule attached to the law. This obligation is linked to the protection periods that Article 19 sets.
Lapse of the document means loss of protection, so it is important to track payment dates, and you can use a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents to manage them.
Practical example
Fahd forgot to pay the annual fee for his patent on time, and three months passed, so a doubled fee became due. A warning then reached him, and if he does not pay within the following three months his patent lapses and this is announced in the Bulletin.
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 18 of the Saudi Patents Law
When are the annual fees for a patent paid?
At the start of each year, beginning with the year following the filing date of the application.
What happens if I am late paying the patent fees?
If you are late more than three months from the due date a doubled fee is due, and if you do not pay after the warning within the following three months the application or document lapses.
Can the fees for a patent application be deferred?
Yes. After the fee has been paid for three years without protection being granted, payment for the following years may be deferred until the grant decision is issued.
More articles on Patent Term and Fees
- Article 19
The article sets the protection periods: 20 years for a patent, 10 years for a design certificate and an industrial model certificate, and 20 years for a plant patent, 25 for trees and vines.
أ - مدة حماية براءة الاختراع عشرون سنة من تاريخ إيداع الطلب. ب - مدة حماية شهادة التصميم عشر سنوات من تاريخ إيداع الطلب، أو عشر سنوات من تاريخ بدء استغلاله تجار
- Article 31
The article allows the owner of a protection document to relinquish it in whole or in part by a written request; with a compulsory license in place it is accepted only with the beneficiary's consent or for compelling circumstances, and it takes effect against third parties from publication.
يجوز لمالك وثيقة الحماية التخلي عنها بموجب طلب كتابي يقدم إلى المدينة، ويجوز أن يقتصر التخلي على عنصر واحد أو أكثر من عناصر الحماية المقررة، على أنه لا يقبل الت
- Article 42
The article sets the fees due under the Law according to the attached Schedule and allows them to be amended by a Council of Ministers decision on the proposal of the Authority's board of directors.
يحدد المقابل المالي المستحق تطبيقًا لأحكام هذا النظام وفقًا للجدول المرافق، ويجوز تعديله بقرار من مجلس الوزراء بناء على اقتراح من مجلس إدارة الهيئة.
- Article 58
The article requires the plant patent owner to maintain the variety, supply the City with information and samples and propose an alternative name, and the patent lapses on breach after notice and a grace period.
يلتزم مالك البراءة النباتية بما يأتي: أ - الحفاظ على الصنف المحمي، أو – عند الحاجة – على مكوناته الوراثية طوال مدة الحماية. ب - تزويد المدينة بناء على طلبها بال
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.