Essential Guidelines to Register a Patent in Bahrain in 2021

The regime of patent registration in Bahrain is enshrined under Law No. 1 of 2004 on Patents and Utility Models that was subsequently amended by Law No. 14 of 2006 (Bahrain Patent Law). The law protects patentable inventions and utility models subject to the regulations and conditions stipulated under the legislation. Inventors need to file their patents and utility models at the Bahrain Industrial Property Office, which operates within the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

This article discusses the major conditions, requirements presents and processes associated with patent registration in Bahrain. Inventors can consult with patent registration agents in Bahrain to protect their patents in compliance with the laws. Read on.

Patentability of Inventions in Bahrain 

An invention will become eligible for patent protection in Bahrain only if it meets certain conditions. It should be novel, industrially applicable and must involve an inventive step. Apart from inventions, patents will be granted for industrial methods as well. Yet, certain kinds of patent applications will be rejected such as inventions that violate morals or public order, scientific theories, mathematical methods, plants and animals, and methods of treatment.

Patent Filing Options in Bahrain 

Inventors can file for patent registration in Bahrain in two main ways. They are

1. National filing at the Bahrain Industrial Property Office, if appropriate claiming priority under the Paris Convention from an earlier application
2. A national phase entry after an international filing through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) 

National Patent Filing Requirements 

For filing a national patent with the Bahrain Industrial Property Office, the following requirements must be met:

1. A power of attorney (PoA) signed in applicant name and should be legalized up to a Bahraini consulate abroad
2. One copy of the English specification and claims together with its certified Arabic translation.
3. One clear set of the drawings relating to the invention with a certified Arabic translation, if any.
4. Title and abstract of the invention of no more than 200 words, together with the best explanatory diagram
5. A deed of assignment by the inventor with an Apostille certification if the country of the applicant company is a member of the Hague Convention; otherwise, the power of attorney should be legalized up to a Bahraini consulate abroad.
6. A copy of the priority document as filed at WIPO giving the filing date, number and country of the application/registration for a priority claim.  If this document is not in English a simple English and certified Arabic translations must be provided
7. Names, addresses and nationality of applicant and inventor.

Requirements for Filing under Patent Cooperation Treaty 

For PCT applications, the following documents are required besides the above documents:

1. A copy of the PCT application as filed mentioning the priority number and date.
2. The International Search Report of the PCT application in English
3. The International Publication Report of the PCT Application in English.

A patent application can be filed with the specifications, claims and drawings in English by virtue of a simply signed POA along with an Arabic translation of the abstract. The documents can be submitted within three months from the date of filing the patent application and the Arabic translation of the specifications, claims and drawings can be submitted within four months from the filing date.  Patents applications and maintenance of patents are filed online.  Under Patent Law, the time limit to file a PCT application is counted 30 months from the priority date or from the International PCT application filing date (if no priority was claimed); which is non-extendable.

Seek Expert Assistance for Patent Registration in Bahrain 

Novel and industrially applicable inventions are eligible for patent registration in Bahrain if it also satisfies other conditions stated in the patent legislation. The inventors can choose either the national filing route or the PCT route for registering a patent in Bahrain depending on their requirements. Either way, the inventors need to navigate complex steps and intricate documentation. However, the assistance of the best patents registration agents in Bahrain such as Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP) could help them easily navigate the steps. JIP is one of the best IP firms with a presence in all the GCC countries such as the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Registering a patent becomes easier with the help of JIP’ patent registration services in Bahrain.