Article 32 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 32 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
The article allows any interested party to challenge before the Committee the decision granting a protection document and ask for its invalidation in whole or in part for breach of the grant conditions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز لكل ذي مصلحة أن يطعن أمام اللجنة في قرار منح وثيقة الحماية، طالبًا الحكم بإبطاله كليا أو جزئيا، تأسيسًا على مخالفة الشروط المقررة لمنح وثيقة الحماية. وعلى مالك الوثيقة إدخال المستفيد من الترخيص في الدعوى، وإلا كان من حقه التدخل من تلقاء نفسه، وللجنة أن تأمر بإدخال كل ذي مصلحة، وتحدد اللائحة الأسس التي يبنى عليها طلب الإبطال لكل وثيقة من وثائق 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 32 explained in plain English
This article opens the way to challenge the decision granting a protection document after it is issued. Under the definitions in Article 2, a protection document is a patent, a design certificate, a plant patent or an industrial design certificate. The challenge is brought before "the Committee" provided for in Article 35.
- Who may challenge: any interested party, meaning anyone affected by the grant of the document, such as a competitor working in the same field.
- What may be requested: a judgment invalidating the grant decision in whole, or in part only.
- Ground of challenge: that the document was granted in breach of the conditions set for granting it.
The article also regulates the parties to the case: the owner of the document must bring the license beneficiary into the case, and if the owner does not, the beneficiary may intervene on its own initiative. The Committee may also order any other interested party to be brought in.
The article does not set out the detailed grounds for invalidity for each type of document, but refers that to the Implementing Regulations. The effect of a judgment of invalidity is set out in Article 33, under which the grant decision is treated as if it had never existed from its date of issue, within the limits of what was judged invalid. This differs from relinquishment in Article 31, which is done by the owner's own written request.
Because assessing whether the grant conditions are met is both a technical and a legal matter, anyone considering a challenge would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
Practical example
A company in Jeddah obtained a patent for a cooling device, and a competing company in Riyadh believes the device was already known before the application was filed. As an interested party, the competitor can challenge before the Committee, asking for the grant decision to be invalidated in whole or in part. If the owning company has licensed a factory to exploit the patent, it must bring the factory into the case; otherwise the factory may intervene itself.
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 32 of the Saudi Patents Law
Who can challenge a patent after it is granted?
Any interested party, and the challenge is brought before the Committee, seeking invalidation of the grant decision in whole or in part.
What is the ground for challenging a protection document?
That the grant decision breached the conditions set for granting a protection document. The Implementing Regulations set the bases on which an invalidation request is built for each document.
Is the licensee joined in an invalidation case?
Yes. The owner of the document must bring the license beneficiary into the case; otherwise the beneficiary may intervene on its own initiative, and the Committee may order any interested party to be brought in.
More articles on Patents and Appeals Committee
- Article 7
The article lets a person whose subject of protection was taken from them ask the Committee to transfer ownership of the application or document to them; a claim is not heard after five years from grant except on proof of the applicant's bad faith.
إذا كان موضوع الحماية المدعى به في طلب الحماية، أو في وثيقة الحماية مأخوذًا من موضوع حماية يعود الحق فيه إليه شخص آخر خلاف مقدم الطلب أو مالك وثيقة الحماية؛ فإن
- Article 33
The article provides that a judgment invalidating the grant of a protection document makes the grant treated as if it never existed from its date of issue, with a special rule on license payments and publication of the judgment.
الحكم ببطلان قرار منح وثيقة الحماية كليا أو جزئيا يترتب عليه اعتبار هذا القرار كأن لم يكن من تاريخ صدوره، وذلك في نطاق ما قضي ببطلانه، على أنه ليس من شأن الحكم
- Article 34
The article defines infringement of protected subject matter and empowers the Committee to stop infringement and award compensation and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, doubled for repeat offenses.
يعد تعديا على موضوع الحماية القيام بأي عمل من أعمال الاستغلال المنصوص عليها في الأحكام الخاصة لكل موضوع من موضوعات الحماية، يقوم به أي شخص في المملكة دون موافقة
- Article 36
The article sets the Committee's jurisdiction over disputes and challenges to decisions on protection documents and over criminal cases arising from violations of the Law and its regulations.
أ - تختص اللجنة بما يأتي : 1 - النظر في جميع المنازعات والطعون في القرارات الصادرة بشأن وثائق الحماية . 2 - الدعاوى الجزائية الناشئة عن مخالفة أحكام هذا النظام
- Article 37
The article regulates how the Committee issues its decisions, requires it to rule even where the text is silent, and allows a grievance before the Board of Grievances within sixty days of notification.
تصدر اللجنة قراراتها بالأغلبية، على أن تكون مسببة، ويتلى منطوقها في جلسة علنية، وليس للجنة أن تمتنع عن إصدار قرار في الدعوى استنادًا إلى عدم وجود نص يحكم النزاع
- Article 38
The article gives the Committee the right to write to government bodies and request clarifications, and requires the City to provide it, on request, with the documents of the protection applications or subject matter in dispute.
للجنة حق مخاطبة الجهات الحكومية المعنية، وطلب ما ترى لزومه من الإيضاحات والبيانات، وعلى المدينة موافاة اللجنة بجميع المستندات والأوراق المتعلقة بطلبات الحماية،
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.