Article 19 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 19 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 تجاريًّا في أي مكان في العالم، وفي كل الأحوال لا يجوز أن تتعدى مدة الحماية خمس عشرة سنة من تاريخ التوصل إلى التصميم.
ج - مدة حماية البراءة النباتية عشرون سنة من تاريخ إيداع الطلب، أما بالنسبة للأشجار والكروم فمدة حمايتها خمس وعشرون سنة.
د - مدة حماية شهادة النموذج الصناعي عشر سنوات من تاريخ إيداع الطلب.
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 19 explained in plain English
This article sets the protection period for each kind of protection document:
- Patent (A): 20 years from the filing date of the application.
- Design certificate (B): 10 years from the filing date of the application, or 10 years from the date the design began to be exploited commercially anywhere in the world. In all cases the protection period may not exceed 15 years from the date the design was arrived at.
- Plant patent (C): 20 years from the filing date of the application, while trees and vines are protected for 25 years.
- Industrial model certificate (D): 10 years from the filing date of the application.
Practical notes:
- In most cases the period runs from the filing date of the application, not from the date the document is granted, so the time taken by examination counts against the protection period.
- A design certificate has an additional maximum of 15 years from the date the design was arrived at.
Throughout these periods the obligation to pay the annual fee regulated by Article 18 remains in force, and failure to pay it after a warning leads to lapse of the document before its term ends.
Article 20 follows, protecting someone who exploited the subject in good faith before the filing date, by allowing that person to continue the same activities even after the document is issued.
To calculate precisely the protection period remaining for your document, you can consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh filed a patent application for a medical device, and the patent was issued three years after filing. Protection ends 20 years after the filing date, so the period remaining after the grant is about 17 years.
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 19 of the Saudi Patents Law
How long does patent protection last in Saudi Arabia?
20 years from the filing date of the application.
How long does protection of an industrial model last?
10 years from the filing date of the application.
How long does protection of plant varieties last?
20 years from the filing date of the application, and 25 years for trees and vines.
Can protection of a design certificate exceed 15 years?
No. In all cases its protection period may not exceed 15 years from the date the design was arrived at.
More articles on Patent Term and Fees
- Article 18
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.
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 إيدا
- 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.