Article 36 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 36 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 ولائحته.
ب - يبلغ الخصوم بالدعاوى المقامة أمام اللجنة وفقًا لما تحدده اللائحة.
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 36 explained in plain English
This article defines what the Committee hears, the committee formed under Article 35, which has three legal members and two technical members and is formed by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
The Committee has jurisdiction over two matters:
- Disputes and challenges: all disputes and challenges to decisions issued regarding protection documents, that is, patents, design certificates, plant patents and industrial design certificates.
- Criminal cases: cases arising from violations of the provisions of the Law and its Implementing Regulations.
Paragraph (B) provides that litigants are notified of cases brought before the Committee as the Implementing Regulations determine; the article itself does not set out the method of notification.
A dispute does not necessarily end at the Committee, since Article 37 allows a grievance before the Board of Grievances against any decision the Committee issues, within 60 days of being notified of it.
Anyone with a dispute concerning a protection document, or who has received a decision they do not accept, would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents to determine their route before the Committee.
Practical example
A patent application filed by an engineer in Al Khobar was rejected, and she believes the rejection was wrong. This is a decision issued on a protection document, so the Committee has jurisdiction to hear her challenge. If the Committee issues a decision she does not accept, she may file a grievance before the Board of Grievances within 60 days of being notified of it.
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 36 of the Saudi Patents Law
Which body has jurisdiction over patent disputes?
The Committee, which hears all disputes and challenges to decisions issued regarding protection documents.
Does the Committee hear criminal cases?
Yes. It has jurisdiction over criminal cases arising from violations of the provisions of the Law and its regulations.
How are litigants notified of a case before the Committee?
As the Implementing Regulations of the Law determine.
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 32
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.
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
- 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 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.