Article 33 of the Saudi Trademarks Law
المادة 33 من نظام العلامات التجارية · الباب الثالث: عقود الترخيص
The entry of a trademark license contract is cancelled from the register at the request of the owner or the licensee after proof that the contract has ended or been terminated, and after notifying the other party, who may object.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يشطب قيد عقد الترخيص من السجل، بناء على طلب مالك العلامة أو المستفيد من الترخيص بعد تقديم ما يثبت انتهاء أو فسخ عقد الترخيص.
وعلى الجهة المختصة أن تخطر الطرف الآخر بطلب شطب قيد الترخيص، ولا يتم الشطب إلا بعد أن تخطر الجهة المختصة الطرف الآخر بطلب شطب الترخيص، وله في هذه الحالة الاعتراض على ذلك وفقًا للإجراءات المنصوص عليها في اللائحة التنفيذية.
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 33 explained in plain English
If a trademark license contract is recorded in the register (the trademark register), the contract's expiry or termination does not remove the entry automatically; a request to cancel it is needed. This Article governs it as follows:
- Who submits the request: The mark owner or the beneficiary of the license; each has the right to request cancellation.
- What must be submitted: What proves that the license contract has ended or been terminated.
- Notifying the other party: The competent authority must notify the other party of the cancellation request, and cancellation does not take place until after this notification.
- The right to object: The other party may object to the cancellation request under the procedures specified by the Implementing Regulations.
The purpose of notification is to protect the party that did not submit the request. It may, for example, consider that the contract is still in force or that the reason for termination is not valid, so it is given a chance to object before the entry is removed.
The details of the objection procedures and deadlines are not specified by this Article, which refers them to the Implementing Regulations. Anyone in a dispute over the end of a license contract can consult a lawyer who specializes in trademarks and commercial cases.
Practical example
The term of a license contract between the owner of a clothing mark and a distribution company in Dammam ended, so the owner submitted a request to cancel the license entry from the register, attaching what proves the contract ended. The competent authority notified the distribution company of the request, and it may object under the procedures of the Implementing Regulations if it considers that the contract is still in force.
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 33 of the Saudi Trademarks Law
Who may request cancellation of a trademark license from the register?
The mark owner or the beneficiary of the license, after submitting what proves that the license contract ended or was terminated.
Is a license cancelled without the other party knowing?
No. The competent authority must notify the other party of the cancellation request, and cancellation does not take place until after this notification.
Can a request to cancel a license be objected to?
Yes. The other party may object to the request under the procedures set out in the Implementing Regulations.
More articles on Licensing Use of a Trademark
- Article 23
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.
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 وفق
- Article 29
The Article allows the mark owner to license its use while keeping the right to license others and use it himself unless otherwise agreed, and the license period may not exceed the mark's protection period.
يجوز لمالك العلامة أن يرخص لأي شخص طبيعي أو معنوي باستعمالها عن كل أو بعض السلع أو الخدمات المسجلة عنها العلامة، ويكون لمالك العلامة الحق في أن يرخص لأشخاص آخري
- Article 30
The Article bars restrictions on the licensee unrelated to the mark's registration rights or protection, and permits specifying the area or period, quality control conditions, and refraining from harming the mark.
لا يجوز أن تفرض على المستفيد من الترخيص قيود غير مترتبة على الحقوق التي يخولها تسجيل العلامة أو غير ضرورية للمحافظة على هذه الحقوق. ومع ذلك يجوز أن يتضمن عقد ال
- Article 31
The Article requires a trademark license contract to be in writing to be recognized, does not require it to be noted in the register, and refers how it is noted and publicized, when done, to the Implementing Regulations.
لا يعتد بعقد الترخيص باستعمال العلامة التجارية إلا إذا كان مكتوبًا، ولا يشترط التأشير به في السجل، وفي حال تم التأشير به في السجل تحدد اللائحة التنفيذية الكيفية
- Article 32
The Article bars a licensee of a trademark from assigning the license to others or granting sub-licenses, unless the parties agree otherwise.
لا يجوز للمستفيد من الترخيص التنازل عنه لغيره أو منح تراخيص من الباطن ما لم يتفق على خلاف ذلك.
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.