Emerging IP - October 2025

HIGHLIGHTS

Egypt Updates Official Fees for Patents, Plant Varieties, and Copyrights

The Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority (EGIPA) has issued three new decrees revising official fees for patents, plant varieties and copyrights, effective 14 October 2025.

The three decrees are as follows:

• Decree No. 138 of 2025 amending official patent fees and introducing new patent service fees;
• Decree No. 140 of 2025 introducing new official fees for plant variety protection services; and
• Decree No. 141 of 2025 amending copyright-related service fees and introducing new official fees.

The amendments are outlined in the tables below:

Patent fee increases

Newly introduced patent service fees

Newly introduced plant variety service fees

New copyright service fees/amended fees

By: Mohamed Allam

UAE Introduces New Official Trade Mark Fees

On 9 September 2025, the UAE Cabinet issued Resolution No. 102 of 2025, updating the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s official trade mark fees. The updated official fee schedule will take effect on 15 November 2025.

Key changes include the following:

• A 50% fee reduction for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
• Full exemption from payment of official fees for persons with disabilities ("People of Determination")

There have been no major changes to the already existing official fees, while new service fees that have been introduced include:

• Application for Geographical Indication (GI) registration: 750 AED
• GI registration certificate issuance: 5,000 AED
• Expedited trade mark examination in one day: 2,250 AED
• Conversion of a national trade mark into an international registration: 400 AED
• Appeal against trade mark registration refusal: 5,000 AED
• Request for inspection and examination of a trade mark infringement claim: 2,250 AED
• Fees for appeals against opposition decisions now vary depending on whether the filing party is the opponent or the plaintiff.

By: Sara Omran

REGIONAL UPDATES

Africa

Tanzania Introduces Mandatory Trade Mark Recordals for Imports

On 1 September 2025, Tanzania’s Fair Competition Commission (FCC) launched a trade mark recordals programme for all goods imported into Mainland Tanzania, effective December 2025. This initiative follows the enactment of the Finance Act 2025, which introduced Section 11A to the Merchandise Marks Act [Cap. 85 R.E. 2023].

Trade mark owners are strongly advised to complete recordals by 30 November 2025 to avoid clearance issues.

Key highlights:

• In order for trade mark owners to file Customs complaints, they must formally record trade marks associated with goods imported into Mainland Tanzania.
• Applications must be submitted to the Chief Inspector of Merchandise Marks for review and approval.

Required documentation for recordal:

• Full applicant details (company’s incorporation certificate, address, contact);
• Company’s registered jurisdiction;
• Information on subsidiaries or affiliates under common ownership;
• Details of any foreign licensees and the nature of their authorised use (e.g., distributors)
• Certified copy of the current trade mark registration;
• Sample or clear photograph of trademarked goods;
• Country of origin of the manufactured goods;
• Relevant trade mark classification;
• Proof of payment of applicable fees, and
• Power of Attorney authorising a registered representative to act before the FCC.

Unregistered trade marks are excluded from the protection and benefits provided under the Finance Act. However, trade mark owners may still seek protection through all existing legal mechanisms within Tanzania’s borders.

This initiative represents a major advancement in Tanzania’s efforts to tighten border controls and strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, especially in combating the import of counterfeit goods at points of entry.

By: Vanessa Lawrance

Tanzania Court Rules ARIPO Trade Marks Unenforceable in Tanzania

The Court of Appeal in Tanzania has recently reaffirmed that trade marks registered via the Banjul Protocol under the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) are not legally recognised or enforceable in Tanzania.

Tanzania has acceded to the Banjul Protocol on the international level but has not ratified the Protocol into its national law. Because the Protocol is not part of Tanzania's domestic legal framework, ARIPO registrations designating Tanzania have no legal effect within the country.

This means that for trade mark protection and enforcement in Tanzania, proprietors must file national applications directly with the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA).

The recent ruling in a trade mark infringement case reinforces the need for a robust strategy that includes direct national filings for trade mark protection in Tanzania, in addition to regional or international applications.

By: Vanessa Lawrance

OAPI to Launch OAPI LEX Platform for IP Jurisprudence

In September 2025, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) planned to launch OAPI LEX, a public online database dedicated to intellectual property jurisprudence across its 17 member states.

Unfortunately, the platform is not yet operational. OAPI is in the process of migrating the data to a new web address, after which we expect the resource to become available.

The purpose of OAPI LEX is to streamline access to IP rulings, legislation, and legal insights – enhancing transparency and consistency across Francophone Africa and allowing professionals, businesses, and policymakers to navigate the region’s IP landscape.

By: Vanessa Lawrance

Eastern Europe

Ukraine Joins TMview

As of 22 October 2025, Ukrainian trade mark data is available through TMview, a free online tool that provides access to trade mark databases from participating intellectual property offices in the European Union and other countries.

With this new addition, users worldwide can search and access more than 600,000 trade marks from the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO).

TMview database now comprises over 134 million trade marks from 80 IP offices.

By: Maya Smirnova

Middle East

Oman Launches Investment & Trade Court, Postpones October Hearings

Oman's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has announced that all commercial and investment case hearings scheduled during October 2025 before the commercial divisions of first-instance and appellate courts have been postponed due to the launch of the new specialised Investment & Trade Court on 1 October 2025.

The new court will handle cases related to investment and commercial disputes. These hearings will not be held under the previous court structure and are to be rescheduled before the new Investment & Trade Court once its administrative systems are fully operational. Affected parties will receive new hearing dates and notifications from the Court in due course.

We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide timely updates as new schedules are released.

Given the specialisation of the new court and its jurisdiction over disputes related to IP, as well as the complexities of IP registration and enforcement in Oman, it is advisable for businesses to consult with a local IP law firm.

By: Sara Omran

Qatar Launches Industrial Design Registration Process

Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has started accepting industrial design applications, which marks the long-awaited implementation of Qatar’s Industrial Design Law, previously inactive due to the absence of procedural regulations.

Applications are currently submitted in person at MOCI headquarters, with an electronic filing system expected in the future.

All required forms, documentation guidelines, and the adopted classification system for design filings are now available on the MOCI website, with official fees payable at the reception desk upon submission.

By: Sara Omran

Dubai Customs Launches Project Zero: Turning Counterfeits into Sustainable Resources

Dubai Customs has launched Project Zero, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the region that transforms confiscated counterfeit goods into reusable products, linking IP enforcement with environmental and social sustainability.

Developed in partnership with the DP World Foundation and Landmark Group, the project applies circular economy principles by recycling nearly 500,000 counterfeit items into around 200,000 new products. The initiative reduces waste and carbon emissions while supporting underprivileged communities, shifting the narrative from destruction to regeneration.

Announced during the annual GITEX Global event, Project Zero forms part of Dubai Customs’ broader sustainability strategy focused on waste reduction, resource efficiency, and social responsibility alongside IP protection.

By converting seized counterfeits into sustainable materials, Project Zero establishes a new precedent for responsible enforcement, where protecting intellectual property also means protecting the planet.

By: Sara Omran

UAE Launches Strategic IP Framework to Power Innovation and Sustainability

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has recently launched a new intellectual property system featuring 11 initiatives designed to strengthen innovation, creativity, and the protection of IP rights across diverse sectors.

Announced in February 2024 under the patronage of the Minister of Economy H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the integrated system marks a pivotal step in advancing the UAE’s transition toward a knowledge-and-innovation-driven economy, aligned with the We the UAE 2031 vision.

A Comprehensive IP Ecosystem

The new system combines legislative development, digital enforcement, and targeted sectoral initiatives to promote creativity and entrepreneurship. Key concepts put forward include:

• InstaBlock: An automated AI-powered system that monitors and blocks websites infringing IP rights, supported by a “LiveBan” tool to take down illicit live-streamed content in real time;
• IP Sport: A first-of-its-kind initiative to safeguard the IP of sports teams, clubs, creators, and innovators within the UAE’s growing sports industry;
• Patent Incubators & Innovation Hubs: Platforms that guide innovators through patent prosecution and foster collaboration between inventors, research institutions, and industry partners;
• Green IP: A national roadmap promoting environmentally sustainable innovation and technology localisation;
• Geographical Indication (GI) System: Protects local products linked to origin and quality, with early registrations including Dabbas Dates, Hatta Honey, and Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics;
• One Day TM Initiative: Enables trade mark registration in a single business day, accelerating time-to-market for UAE businesses; and
• IP School: A WIPO-endorsed training platform to build IP knowledge and skills among students, creators, and professionals.

Supporting SMEs and Entrepreneurs

Complementing these initiatives, the Ministry recently announced a 50% reduction of all official trade mark fees for members of the National SME Programme, as well as full exemption from payment of official fees for persons with disabilities ("People of Determination"). The measure aims to boost national entrepreneurship and encourage wider participation in IP protection.

In addition, new trade mark related services and official fees have been introduced:

• Application for Geographical Indication (GI) registration: 750 AED
• GI registration certificate issuance: 5,000 AED
• Expedited trade mark examination in one day: 2,250 AED
• Conversion of a national trade mark into an international registration: 400 AED
• Appeal against trade mark registration refusal: 5,000 AED
• Request for inspection and examination of a trade mark infringement claim: 2,250 AED
• Fees for appeals against opposition decisions now vary depending on whether the filing party is the opponent or the plaintiff.

Strong Growth in IP Filings

The UAE continues to witness a surge in IP activity. In 2023, trade mark applications increased by 9.6%, copyright registrations rose by 29.5%, and patent filings grew by 19.5%, reaching 5,108 registered patents by year-end. By September 2025, total national and international trade marks registered in the UAE surpassed 402,000, underscoring the country’s growing IP maturity.

A Modern and Flexible Legal Framework

The Ministry continues to refine IP procedures to align with international best practices. Under Federal Trade Mark Law No. 36 of 2021, submission of a notarised and legalised power of attorney remains mandatory for new filings. However, the Trade Mark Office has introduced a 90-day practical grace period for submitting PoAs – a measure that supports application continuity while ensuring compliance.

A Vision for Global Leadership

The new IP system is expected to increase the revenues of the national IP sector, facilitate the export of advanced national products and technologies, and attract greater foreign investment.

With advanced digital systems like InstaBlock, accelerated trade mark services, and incentivizing fee reforms, the UAE is positioning itself not only as a regional leader in IP protection but as a global hub for innovation, creativity, and sustainable economic growth.

By: Sara Omran

Articles

EUIPO’s Board of Appeal Grants Salvation to MONASTERY

Some trade marks pass smoothly through examination without many trials and tribulations. Others find themselves on the thorny path of overcoming objections. Such was the case for Ellen and Reiko Inc.’s cosmetic brand MONASTERY when it came before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO or the Office).

Background

In January 2024, Ellen and Reiko Inc., a U.S.-based cosmetics company (referred to below as the applicant), designated the European Union in its international registration No. 1795126 for the word mark MONASTERY. The mark covered a wide range of goods and services across Classes 3, 18, 21, 24, 35, and 44, including cosmetics, fragrances, bags, brushes, towels, retail services, and beauty and spa related services.

The EUIPO issued a provisional partial refusal under Articles 7(1)(b) (non-distinctiveness) and 7(1)(c) (descriptiveness) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 (EUTMR), asserting that the term “MONASTERY” was descriptive and lacked distinctive character for the covered goods and services, except for “cosmetic brushes; cosmetic spatulas; electric face cleansing brushes” in Class 21. The examiner argued that consumers would understand the mark as indicating that the goods and services in question were made or offered by or in a monastery, and further claimed that the term “MONASTERY” is commonly used in the marketing of such goods and services. In support, the examiner put forward screenshots from websites showing cosmetic products, bags, combs, and towels from monasteries and former monasteries that had been transformed into hotels or other establishments offering spa, personal care, and beauty services.

The trade mark applicant contested this view, arguing that the connection between the term and the contested goods and services would require multiple mental steps. It also pointed to prior registrations of similar marks and the brand’s established status in the cosmetics sector. The trade mark applicant further disputed the adequacy of the reasoning and evidence relied on by the examiner, noting that the cited screenshots did not establish that EU consumers would perceive “MONASTERY” as descriptive and non-distinctive of the goods and services concerned.

Despite these arguments, the examiner maintained the objections and further asserted that “the Office is not under any obligation to provide concrete examples of the use of ‘MONASTERY’ in relation to particular goods and services (08/12/2012, T-415/11, Nutriskin Protection Complex, EU:T:2012:589, § 31)”. Of particular note, the examiner stated:

“[…] [E]ven if religious communities generally conduct a simple lifestyle, that would not necessarily prevent their members from using cosmetic products or complementary products such as hair brushes or towels. However, even if that were the case, this would not exclude that monasteries manufacture or sell the products or propose the services in question to customers to supplement their income. Furthermore, monasteries manufacturing cosmetic products may also seek external expertise, such as legal advisors specializing in cosmetics regulation, to ensure compliance with EU regulations [It seems that even monks and nuns cannot escape the long arm of EU cosmetic regulations].”

Ellen and Reiko Inc. appealed the decision.

Board of Appeal Decision

On 20 August 2025, the Fourth Board of Appeal annulled the first-instance decision, finding that the term “MONASTERY” was neither descriptive under Article 7(1)(c) nor devoid of distinctive character under Article 7(1)(b) of the EUTMR with regard to the goods and services concerned.

The Board acknowledged that some monasteries might offer certain of the contested goods and services, but such practices are limited and not widely known among the relevant public within the EU. Consequently, the evidence cited by the examiner was deemed insufficient to establish a direct and immediate association between the term “MONASTERY” and the contested goods and services. Beyond the examiner’s materials, the Board also carried out a legal assessment of well-known facts. It recognised the historical role of monasteries in producing certain goods, such as food, drink, crafts or religious items, but refused to extend that common knowledge to cosmetics, spa and the wider range of contested goods and services, at least not without sufficient substantiation, which ultimately proved lacking. The Board also found no sufficient corroboration that the term “MONASTERY” is commonly used in connection with the marketing of the contested goods and services. It concluded that the mark is capable of functioning as an indicator of origin and does not fall under the absolute grounds for refusal.

As a result, the appeal was upheld and the contested decision was annulled.

Comment

This Kat won’t defer to compliance lawyers to ask about their monastic clients (attorney-client privilege is sacred, after all), and will instead stick to what is well known – or, almost apophatically, to what is not, as highlighted by the Board of Appeal, which appears to be the crux of the case.

The examiner attempted to corroborate their findings with evidence but ultimately asserted that the Office is not obliged to provide concrete examples, thereby implying reliance on allegedly well-known facts, that is, facts "which are likely to be known by anyone or which may be learnt from generally accessible sources [...] or which stem from the practical experience generally acquired from the marketing of general consumer goods, which facts are likely to be known by any person and are in particular known by consumers of those goods" as developed in the case law (Linex, T-444/12 and the case law cited). This is because the facts that need not be proven are the well-known (Bonbonverpackung, C-25/05 P), which is precisely where the examiner fell short.

Essentially, the broader implication of the MONASTERY case can be found not in its outcome, but rather in its quiet reminder of the obligation for adequate reasoning, and more specifically the objective standard behind what qualifies as well known. The established definition of well-known facts outlined above is arguably tautological, yet it remains the most judicious there is. Its open-ended nature, however, means it must be applied with extreme care to avoid circular reasoning that could sometimes contradict reality.

This article first appeared on the IPKat blog on 30 September 2025.

By: Kliment Markov

COMPANY NEWS

15 CWB People on INTA Committees for 2026-2027

We are proud to share that 15 professionals from 8 CWB offices have been appointed to serve on 10 different INTA committees, covering a wide range of topics such as enforcement, parallel imports, well-known marks and unfair competition. We are happy to be active INTA members and excited to see this reflected in our strong committee representation for the 2026–2027 term.

Below is a list of our INTA committee members:

Igor Alfiorov – Azerbaijan – Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee
Kanan Eyvazli – Azerbaijan – Enforcement Committee
Dimitar Batakliev – Bulgaria – International Amicus Committee
Kliment Markov – Bulgaria – Parallel Imports Committee
Aliya Madiyarova – Kazakhstan – Legislation and Regulation Committee
Florentina Grubi Vula – Kosovo – Publications Committee
Nora Makoli – Kosovo – Parallel Imports Committee
Aura Campeanu – Romania – Unreal Campaign Committee
Mara Marinescu – Romania – Unfair Competition Committee
Dragana Vulovic – Serbia – Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee
Sara Omran – UAE – Anti-Counterfeiting Committee
Kim Mbombo Kazadi – UAE – Enforcement Committee
Dima Naber – UAE – Professional Development Committee
Oleksandr Kuriachyi – Ukraine – Enforcement Committee
Anna Korniltseva – Ukraine – Legislation and Regulation Committee

By: Jelena Jankovic

IP Stars Ranks CWB Offices and Practitioners in Ten Jurisdictions

Managing Intellectual Property, a renowned publisher in the IP industry, recently completed the publishing of their IP Stars research results for 2025, recognising ten CWB offices and 18 individuals for outstanding work across ten jurisdictions. These recognitions not only affirm the expertise of our offices and practitioners but also exemplify the firm’s unwavering pursuit of excellence.

CWB offices were ranked as follows:

• Bulgaria – Trade marks – Tier 3
• Croatia – Intellectual Property – Highly Recommended
• Egypt – Intellectual Property – Recommended
• GCC – Recommended (Top Tier)
• Romania – Trade mark disputes – Other Notable Firms
• Romania – Patents – Tier 3
• Serbia – Intellectual Property – Tier 1
• Slovenia – Intellectual Property – Recommended
• South Africa – Patents – Tier 3
• UAE – Trade mark disputes – Tier 3
• UAE – Trade mark prosecution – Tier 2
• Ukraine – Intellectual Property – Tier 3

The following CWB practitioners were ranked:

• Sara Bakić, Senior Associate, Serbia – Rising Star
• Dimitar Batakliev, Head of Office, Bulgaria – Trade Mark Star
• Aura Campeanu, Head of Office, Romania – Trade Mark Star
• Cameron Crawford, Head of Media and Entertainment, UAE – Notable Practitioner
• Firas Jayyusi, Senior Consultant, Jordan – Notable Practitioner
• Keenan-Jay Barnard, Associate, South Africa - Rising Star
• Ivan Kos, Head of Office, Croatia – Trade Mark Star
• Kim Pietersen (Lancley Mbombo Kazadi), Senior Associate, UAE - Rising Star
• Janusz Luterek, Head of Africa Patents, South Africa – Patent Star
• Mara Marinescu, Senior Associate, Romania – Rising Star
• Kliment Markov, Associate, Bulgaria - Rising Star
• Barbara Mencin, Head of Office, Slovenia – Trade Mark Star
• Bianca Mynhardt, Associate, South Africa - Rising Star
• Ana Radoman, Associate, Serbia – Rising Star
• Theuns van de Merwe, Chief of MENA Operations, UAE – Trade Mark Star
• Pieter Venter, Of Counsel Patents, South Africa – Patent Star
• Mirjana Živković, Senior Associate, Serbia – Trade Mark Star, Patent Star
• Maja Žnidarič Plevnik, Senior Associate, Slovenia – Rising Star

For more information, please visit the CWB profile on ipstars.com.