Article 39 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 39 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
The article allows the Committee to use expert bodies on technical matters and lets it decide which litigant bears the costs.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للجنة أن تستعين بجهات الخبرة المختلفة – فيما ترى لزومه – في المسائل الفنية التي تعرض عليها، وتحدد اللجنة من يتحمل من الخصوم النفقات المترتبة على 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 39 explained in plain English
Many disputes over patents, designs and plant varieties turn on precise technical questions, such as whether a product matches the protected invention. This article therefore allows the Committee to use the various expert bodies on the technical matters brought before it.
- The Committee's discretion: using experts is optional; the Committee turns to them where it considers it necessary, and is not required to do so in every case.
- Variety of expertise: the text speaks of the various expert bodies without limiting them to any particular body.
- Costs: the Committee determines which of the litigants bears the costs of using the expertise. The article sets no fixed rule for this, leaving it to the Committee's discretion.
This article follows Article 38, which allows the Committee to write to government bodies and request documents from the City, so that together they complete the Committee's means of gathering legal and technical information.
Anyone who expects their case to need technical expertise would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents to understand their position on these costs.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh claimed that a competitor was using its patent-protected industrial process to make a chemical substance. The Committee considered that the matter required laboratory analysis, so it used a specialized expert body, and then stated in its decision which of the two companies would bear the costs of this expertise.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCommercial & Corporate Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 39 of the Saudi Patents Law
Can the patent committee appoint an expert?
Yes. The Committee may use the various expert bodies where it considers it necessary on the technical matters brought before it.
Who pays the expert's costs in patent cases?
The Committee determines which litigant bears the costs of using the expertise.
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.