Patent: Bahrain

Due to the issuance of the new Patent and Utility Model Law, No. 1 for the year 2004, the Bahrain Patent Office (BPO) had ceased to receive any patent application from January 28, 2004 until the promulgation of the Implementing Regulations.

On June 14, 2006 the BPO has resumed receiving patent and utility model applications.

As per the Implementing Regulations of Law effective 14 June 2006, annuities are due after grant, therefore, the old registered patents and utility models which are still valid are subject for annuities for the remaining period of protection. A grace period of six months, from the due date, is given to the owners of the registered patents/utility models to pay the due fees, after payment of penalty of late annuity fees.

The main aspects of the new Law are:

Duration:

• Patent duration is 20 years instead of 15 years earlier.
• Utility Models are protected for 10 years, which was not available before.

Payment of annuities:

• Annuities are to be paid after filing, calculated as of the filing or priority date.
• Previously there were no maintenance fees to be paid for patents.

Note:

• Bahrain has acceded to the PCT, and started to acceptance national phase applications, however, any PCT application filed before 18 March 2007 (the date that Bahrain joined the PCT) will not be accepted and will be considered not valid.

• Claiming priority is possible with 12 months from the original application.