The uncertainty over the spread of COVID-19 continues unabated putting the business owners, governments and the common people in a tough situation. Being a global centre of businesses, the UAE has been no exception to this pandemic. However, much to the relief of brand owners, the UAE Ministry of Economy has announced substantial reductions in the costs of Intellectual Property rights to help the businesses. The new reductions announced in the month of April follows the earlier reductions announced in July 2019. The new reductions are a great measure by the UAE to offer protection to the intellectual properties, including trademarks. The UAE’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic is being viewed as timely and effective as the UAE trademark office adopted the remote work strategy. This is important as almost all the Trademark offices across the world have shut their operations due to the Coronavirus threat, while the UAE trademark office is still working.
An Overview of the Reduction in UAE Trademark Fees
The new costs reduction in various UAE trademark-related services came into existence on April 5, 2020, to offset the economic pressure on brand owners due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The trademark search fees have come down from AED 500 to AED 350 and the costs of the trademark filing have dropped from AED 1,000 to AED 750. The UAE Trademark office has been responding to the COVID-19 in a more business-friendly as the new cost structure provides great savings for the brand owners. The following is a ‘before and after’ break-up of the cost structure of the various UAE trademark services.
| Service |
Fees Before Reduction (AED) |
New Fees (AED) |
Savings (AED) |
| Trademark Search |
500 |
350 |
150 |
| Application Filing |
1,000 |
750 |
250 |
| Publication in Official Gazette |
1,000 |
750 |
250 |
| Registration fees |
6,700 |
5,000 |
1,700 |
| Renewal Charges |
8700 |
6,500 |
2,200 |
Historical comparison of UAE Trademark Fees
The new reduction in UAE trademark fees has imparted a great change in the cost structure compared to the last fees reduction in July 2019. This fees reduction could be the first one in the last 5 years that has covered almost all the services related to UAE trademarks. 2019, reduction had left the fees for many services unchanged except for the trademark registration fees in the UAE.
The first round trademark fees increases took place in the UAE on 29 May 2015 which led to significant increases in various trademark-related services including UAE trademark registration. However, it is also worth mentioning that until the 2015 fees increase, the UAE trademark costs remained unchanged for nearly 10 years.
A detailed comparison of the fees changes in the last 5 years is given below in AED:
| Service |
Fees Before 29 May 2015 (AED) |
29 May 2015 – 7 July 2019 (AED) |
7 July 2019 – 4 April 2020 (AED) |
From 5 April 2020 to date (AED) |
| Trademark Search |
250 |
500 |
500 |
350 |
| Application Filing |
500 |
1000 |
1000 |
750 |
| Publication in Official Gazette |
500 |
1000 |
1000 |
750 |
| Registration fees |
5,000 |
10000 |
6700 |
5000 |
Impact of the Latest Fees Reduction in Trademark Opposition Proceedings
The new reductions amid the global COVID 19 pandemic have given a new impetus for the registration of trademarks in the UAE. The timely response by the UAE Ministry of Economy has prevented the unforeseen event of businesses abstaining from registering their trademarks in the UAE. Apart from giving a new lease of life to the trademark registration services, the Ministry of Economy has also slashed the prices for trademark opposition proceedings as enforcing the trademarks is as important as the registration of trademarks in the UAE.
The Ministry of Economy has brought in a 25% reduction in official fees for trademark opposition. This means the brand owners now need to pay AED 7,500 for an opposition movement as opposed to the previous AED 10,000. The fees reduction has been a great relief for the brand owners who seek to enforce their rights in the UAE by preventing others from registering similar or identical trademarks. With the 25% reduction in opposition fees structure, the brand owners can now devise better and effective brand strategies.
Impact of the UAE Trademark Fees Reductions On Business Owners
The reduced UAE trademarks fees structure is largely seen as a shot in the arm for the protection of intellectual property rights in the UAE amid a global crisis. Unlike the previous changes in the cost structure, the new reductions are likely to give great benefits for the brand owners as it covers all the services related to trademarks. The new reductions in UAE trademark cost, have effectively changed the existing perception that the UAE is one of the most expensive jurisdictions to register and protect trademarks. The new fee structure is also likely to have a positive impact on the UAE trademark licensing, franchise or distribution agreements.
Final Thoughts
The UAE was largely seen as an expensive jurisdiction to register the trademarks but the new changes in the official fees structure are attracting brand owners amid the pandemic pressure. The timely response by the UAE Ministry of Economy has provided great relief for the brand owners who are going through uncertainty due to the COVID 19 crisis. The new fees reduction has imparted a renewed enthusiasm in UAE trademark registration and the services of a reliable intellectual property service provider have become highly critical in this era of a global pandemic.
Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP) is a full-service intellectual property service provider with years of experience in assisting brand owners in trademark registration and enforcement in the UAE and other GCC countries. JIP’s well-qualified UAE trademark agents have assisted thousands of clients in registering their trademarks with the UAE trademark office. JIP ensures that the clients’ trademarks remnant protected across the GCC countries and will act on behalf of the brand owners if an infringement is detected. JIP’s trademark agents are fully committed to protecting the rights of the brand owners thereby giving them a better brand image and value.