Article 23 of the Saudi Trademarks Law
المادة 23 من نظام العلامات التجارية · الفصل الثالث: شطب تسجيل العلامة التجارية
The Article allows the mark owner to request cancellation in whole or in part, and a mark licensed under a contract noted in the register is cancelled only with the licensee's written consent unless he expressly waives.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لمالك العلامة التجارية أن يطلب من الجهة المختصة شطب العلامة من السجل، سواء عن كل السلع أو الخدمات التي سجلت عنها العلامة أو عن جزء منها فقط، ويقدم طلب الشطب وفقًا للشروط والإجراءات التي تحددها اللائحة التنفيذية لهذا القانون (النظام). وإذا كانت العلامة مرخصا باستعمالها وفقًا لعقد مؤشر به في السجل، فلا يجوز شطبها إلا بناء على موافقة كتابية من المستفيد من الترخيص، ما لم يتنازل المستفيد من الترخيص عن هذا الحق صراحة.
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 23 explained in plain English
This Article governs cancelling a trademark at its owner's request.
The rule: The mark owner may ask the competent authority to cancel it from the register:
- For all the goods or services for which it was registered.
- Or for only part of them, in which case the registration remains for the rest.
Procedures: The cancellation request is submitted under the conditions and procedures specified by the Implementing Regulations, which the text does not detail.
Protection of the licensee: If the mark is licensed for use under a contract noted in the register, it may not be cancelled except with the written consent of the beneficiary of the license. The exception is where the beneficiary has expressly waived this right.
The owner therefore cannot cancel a licensed mark by a unilateral decision without the licensee's consent. Note that the protection is tied to the license contract being noted in the register; the text links the written-consent requirement to this noting.
This route differs from Article 22, which allows the competent authority and every interested party to request a judgment from the competent court cancelling a mark registered without right, and from Article 24, which allows the competent court to order cancellation of a mark for not being seriously used for five consecutive years. Anyone negotiating a trademark license contract is well advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases about noting the contract and the conditions of waiver.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh owns a mark for cleaning products and licensed its use to a factory in Dammam under a contract noted in the register. The company decided to cancel the mark, but it may do so only with the factory's written consent, unless the factory has expressly waived this right.
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 23 of the Saudi Trademarks Law
Can I cancel my trademark from the register?
Yes. The mark owner may ask the competent authority to cancel it for all the goods or services or for part of them, under the conditions and procedures specified by the Implementing Regulations.
Can a trademark licensed to another person be cancelled?
If the license is under a contract noted in the register, it may not be cancelled except with the written consent of the beneficiary of the license, unless he expressly waives this right.
Can a mark be cancelled for only some products?
Yes. Cancellation may be requested for part of the goods or services for which the mark was registered.
More articles on Cancelling a Trademark
- Article 7
The Article treats whoever registers a mark in good faith as its owner, bars disputing it after five years of use without a court dispute, and lets the earlier user request cancellation within five years.
1 - يعتبر من قام بتسجيل العلامة التجارية بحسن نية مالكًا لها، ولا تجوز المنازعة في ملكية العلامة متى اقترن تسجيل العلامة باستعمالها مدة خمس سنوات على الأقل دون
- Article 22
The Article allows the competent authority and every interested party to request a judgment cancelling a mark registered without right, subject to Article 7, and cancellation takes place once a final judgment is submitted.
مع عدم الإخلال بأحكام المادة "7" من هذا القانون يكون للجهة المختصة ولكل ذي شأن، اللجوء إلى المحكمة المختصة بطلب الحكم بشطب العلامة التجارية التي تكون قد سجلت بغ
- Article 24
The Article allows the competent court, at the request of any interested party, to order cancellation of a mark proved not to have been seriously used for five consecutive years, unless the owner provides a justification for non-use.
للمحكمة المختصة، بناء على طلب من كل ذي شأن، أن تأمر بشطب العلامة من السجل إذا ثبت لديها أن العلامة لم تستعمل بصفة جدية لمدة خمس سنوات متتالية، إلا إذا قدم مالك
- Article 25
The Article bars re-registering a cancelled mark for others for the same or similar goods or services before three years pass from cancellation, unless the cancellation was by a judgment that set a shorter period.
إذا تم شطب العلامة من السجل، فلا يجوز أن يعاد تسجيلها لصالح الغير عن ذات السلع أو الخدمات أو عن سلع أو خدمات مشابهة، إلا بعد مضي ثلاث سنوات من تاريخ الشطب، ما ل
- Article 26
The Article requires cancellation of a trademark from the register to be publicized by the means of publication specified by the Implementing Regulations of the Law.
يجب إشهار شطب العلامة من السجل بوسيلة النشر التي تحددها اللائحة التنفيذية لهذا القانون (النظام).
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.