Article 34 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 34 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 كتابية مسجلة في الإدارة من قبل مالك وثيقة الحماية. وتقضي اللجنة – بناء على طلب مالك الوثيقة، وكل ذي مصلحة – بمنع التعدي مع دفع التعويض اللازم. وللجنة أن تحكم على المتعدي بغرامة لا تزيد على مائة ألف ريال، ويضاعف الحد الأقصى للغرامة في حالة العود. وفي حالة ما إذا رأت اللجنة أن التعدي يستوجب عقوبة السجن فيحال المتعدي ابتداء إلى ديوان المظالم. وللجنة أن تتخذ من التدابير العاجلة ما تراه ضروريا لتلافي الأضرار الناتجة عن التعدي.
وينشر القرار الصادر من اللجنة في هذه الحالة في الجريدة الرسمية، وفي النشرة، وفي صحيفتين من الصحف اليومية على نفقة المحكوم عليه، ولا يخل حكم هذه المادة بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها في أي نظام آخر.
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 34 explained in plain English
This article is the general rule for protecting the owners of protection documents against infringement, and covers inventions, layout designs, plant varieties and industrial designs.
When is an act an infringement? When any person in the Kingdom carries out an act of exploitation provided for in the provisions specific to each type of protected subject matter, without the written consent, recorded in the Administration, of the owner of the document. Under the text, oral or unrecorded consent is not enough.
What powers does the Committee have?
- To rule that the infringement stop and that the necessary compensation be paid, at the request of the document owner or any interested party.
- To fine the infringer up to SAR 100,000, with the maximum doubled for a repeat offense.
- To refer the infringer directly to the Board of Grievances if it considers that the infringement calls for a prison sentence.
- To take the urgent measures it considers necessary to avoid the damage resulting from the infringement.
The Committee's decision is published in the Official Gazette, in the Bulletin and in two daily newspapers at the expense of the convicted party. This article does not prevent the application of any more severe penalty provided for in another law.
The effect of invalidating the document itself is regulated by Article 33, which is a different matter from infringement of an existing document.
Because determining compensation and penalty depends on the facts of each case, anyone who is subject to infringement or accused of it is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
Practical example
Khalid, who owns a patent for a smart lock, discovered that an establishment in Riyadh was manufacturing and selling the same lock without his consent. Khalid can ask the Committee to stop the establishment and require it to pay compensation. The Committee may fine it up to SAR 100,000 and take urgent measures to stop the damage, and the decision is published at the establishment's expense.
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 34 of the Saudi Patents Law
What is the penalty for infringing a patent in Saudi Arabia?
The Committee may fine the infringer up to SAR 100,000, with the maximum doubled for a repeat offense, along with stopping the infringement and paying compensation. If it considers the infringement calls for imprisonment, the infringer is referred directly to the Board of Grievances.
Is oral consent from the patent owner enough?
Under the text, exploitation is an infringement if done without the written consent, recorded in the Administration, of the owner of the protection document.
Who can ask for the infringement to be stopped?
The document owner and any interested party.
Is the judgment against the infringer published?
Yes. It is published in the Official Gazette, in the Bulletin and in two daily newspapers at the expense of the convicted party.
More articles on Patent Infringement
- Article 20
The article protects a person who in good faith made a product, used a process or exploited a plant variety before the filing date, by allowing that person to continue the same activities without expanding them.
إذا قام شخص – بحسن نية – بتصنيع منتج، أو باستعمال عملية صناعية، أو بتصنيع دارة متكاملة مدمج فيها التصميم، أو سلعة تتضمن هذه الدارة، أو باستغلال صنف نباتي، أو با
- Article 47
The article gives the patent owner the right to sue before the Committee anyone who exploits the invention in the Kingdom without consent, and defines the forms of exploitation and the non-commercial scientific research exception.
لمالك البراءة الحق في رفع دعوى أمام اللجنة ضد أي شخص يتعدى على اختراعه، باستغلاله دون موافقته داخل المملكة، ويعد استغلالا للاختراع: أ - إذا كان منتجًا: صناعته،
- Article 48
The article shifts to the defendant the burden of proving that its product was not made by the patented process, when one of two conditions is met, while taking account of its industrial and commercial secrets.
مع مراعاة المصالح المشروعة للمدعى عليه من حيث حماية أسراره الصناعية والتجارية، إذا كان موضوع براءة الاختراع المدعى بالتعدي عليها عملية صناعية لصنع منتج ما؛ فعلى
- Article 51
The article gives the owner of a design certificate the right to sue anyone who copies, imports, sells or distributes its design in the Kingdom without consent, with an exception for personal and scientific copying.
لمالك شهادة التصميم الحق في رفع دعوى أمام اللجنة ضد أي شخص يتعدى على تصميمه باستغلاله دون موافقته داخل المملكة، ويعد استغلالًا للتصميم القيام بأي عمل من الأعمال
- Article 53
The article excepts from infringement the acts in paragraph (B) of Article 51 when done by someone who did not know the circuit contains a copied design, and requires him to pay fair compensation.
لا تعد الأعمال المذكورة في الفقرة (ب) من المادة الحادية والخمسين من هذا النظام تعديًا، إذا باشرها، أو أمر بالقيام بها من لم يكن يعلم أو ليس لديه أسباب معقولة لل
- Article 56
The article gives the plant patent owner the right to sue anyone who exploits the protected variety's propagating material in the Kingdom without consent, and extends the rights to harvested material and derived varieties, with exceptions.
أ - لمالك البراءة النباتية الحق في رفع دعوى أمام اللجنة ضد أي شخص يتعدى على الصنف المحمي باستغلال مادة تكاثر الصنف المحمي دون موافقته داخل المملكة، ويعد استغلال
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.