Article 7 of the Saudi Trademarks Law
المادة 7 من نظام العلامات التجارية · الفصل الأول: إجراءات تسجيل العلامات التجارية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 وجود نزاع قضائي بشأنها.
2 - يجوز لمن كان أسبق إلى استعمال العلامة ممن سجلت باسمه أن يطلب من المحكمة المختصة إلغاء هذا التسجيل خلال خمس سنوات من تاريخ التسجيل، ما لم يثبت رضاء الأول صراحة أو ضمنا باستعمال العلامة من قبل من سجلت باسمه.
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 7 explained in plain English
This Article governs ownership of a trademark and the relationship between registration and earlier use.
The rule: Whoever registers the trademark in good faith is considered its owner.
Securing ownership: Ownership of the mark may not be disputed if three things come together:
- The mark is registered.
- Registration is accompanied by its use for at least five years.
- There is no court dispute concerning it during that period.
The right of the earlier user: If a person used the mark before the person in whose name it was registered, he may ask the competent court to cancel the registration, provided this is within five years of the date of registration. His request is not accepted if it is proved that he expressly or impliedly consented to the use of the mark by the person in whose name it was registered.
Anyone who discovers that another has registered a mark he was using before him must therefore act before five years have passed since registration. The registration and its owner are recorded in the trademark register governed by Article 6. To assess your position in a dispute over ownership of a mark, it is wise to consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases.
Practical example
Fahad has used the name "Nakhlat Al-Waha" for a dates shop in Al-Qassim for years without registering it, then discovered that another trader had registered the same name in his own name three years ago. Fahad may ask the competent court to cancel the registration because five years have not passed since its date, unless it is proved that he expressly or impliedly consented to the other trader's use of the mark.
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 7 of the Saudi Trademarks Law
Who owns the trademark under the Law?
Whoever registers the trademark in good faith is considered its owner.
When can ownership of a trademark no longer be disputed?
When registration of the mark is accompanied by its use for at least five years with no court dispute concerning it.
Someone registered a mark I used before him. What can I do?
The earlier user may ask the competent court to cancel the registration within five years of its date, unless it is proved that he expressly or impliedly consented to its use by the person in whose name it was registered.
More articles on Cancelling a Trademark
- 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 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 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.