Article 38 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 38 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للجنة حق مخاطبة الجهات الحكومية المعنية، وطلب ما ترى لزومه من الإيضاحات والبيانات، وعلى المدينة موافاة اللجنة بجميع المستندات والأوراق المتعلقة بطلبات الحماية، أو موضوعات الحماية محل النزاع، متى طلبت اللجنة ذلك.
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 38 explained in plain English
This article gives the Committee tools for gathering the information it needs to decide the disputes brought before it.
- Writing to government bodies: the Committee may write to the relevant government bodies and request whatever clarifications and data it considers necessary.
- The City's obligation: the City, which under the definitions in Article 2 is King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, must provide the Committee with all documents and papers relating to the protection applications or to the protected subject matter in dispute, whenever the Committee requests them.
The City's obligation here is not automatic; it arises when the Committee requests. The aim is that the Committee has the documents relating to the application or to the protected subject matter in dispute.
This article is linked to Article 37, which requires the Committee to issue reasoned decisions and not to refuse to rule, and to Article 39, which allows it to use expert bodies on technical matters. Together, the three articles equip the Committee to reach a decision based on sufficient information.
A party to a dispute before the Committee may consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents about the documents connected with the case.
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 38 of the Saudi Patents Law
Can the patent committee request the application file from the City?
Yes. The City must provide the Committee with all documents and papers relating to the protection applications or protected subject matter in dispute whenever the Committee requests them.
Can the Committee write to other government bodies?
Yes. The Committee has the right to write to the relevant government bodies and request whatever clarifications and data it considers necessary.
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 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
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.