LEBANON

Lebanon is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. They are also a member of several international organizations and agreements including the World Intellectual Property Organization, which they officially joined in 1986. Lebanon follows the Ninth Edition of the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks under the Nice Agreement.









Trademark Information

Type of Trademarks:

Marks for goods and Service marks.

Type of Applicant:

Company or Individual.

Registrable Elements:

Character, Chinese characters, Three-dimensional shape, Figure Sign, Claiming colour, Claiming priority or Combination of colours.

Term of Protection:

10 Years from filing date and renewable for 10 years within 12 months before expiry or 3 months after expiry without surcharge.

Priority Deadline:

6 months from the priority application filing date.

Classification:

11th Edition – Multi class application, Use of class headings, Designation of retail services and Addition to class heading.

Search:

Applicable for Word and Device marks  (Unofficial).

Examination:

Formal and absolute grounds.

Recordation Applicability :

Registrations.

Time Frames (Up To):

Search: 3 days.

Registration: 1 month.

-          Filing to Examination decision 15 days

-          Registration to Certificate Issuance 15 days

Renewals: 1 month.

Recordation: 1 month.

Appeal: 1 month.

Opposition: 0 months.

Declaration of Use:

Not applicable.

Consent and Disclaimers:

Acceptable to overcome refusal.

Cancellation Action:

Applicable for Unlawful registration Non-use for a period of 5 years from the Registration before the Courts.

Infringement Measures:

Prevention of importation of infringing goods by Customs, Raid, Injunction, Damages, Fine and Imprisonment.

Filing Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing)
• Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed. (May be submitted within 90 days)

Renewal Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing in case we are not the agent of record). 

Assignment Requirements:

• Power of attorney signed by the assignee duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.
• Deed of assignment signed by both parties duly legalized as above.
• Original certificate of registration for endorsement purposes.

License Requirements:

• Power of attorney signed by the licensee duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.
• License agreement signed by both parties duly legalized as above. 

Merger / Mortgage Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate.
• Certificate of merger / mortgage duly legalized as above.
• Original certificate of registration for endorsement purposes.

Name / Address Requirements:

• Power of Attorney in the new name/address duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.  
• A certificate issued by the competent authorities evidencing the changes or an affidavit proving the changes duly legalized as above.

Appeal / Opposition Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing)
• Any document to show prior use in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Brief history of the applicant’s company including list of registrations along with copies of the same in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• The date of first use and registration worldwide and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Extracts from bills/invoices, etc., from the year of inception of the company. 
• Sales turnover from inception up to date in the country of origin and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Any additional helpful documents (ex. Distribution agreements, local advertisements, local newspapers, magazines, etc.) evidencing the use and existence of the mark worldwide and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries.

Patent Information

Type of Patent:

Patent.

Type of Applicant:

Company, Individual or Jointly.

Validity:

Patents 20 years from the international filing date.

Annuities:

Paid after grant with 6 months surcharge grace period.

PCT Based Filing:

Applicable within 18 months from the International filing date.

Revival:

Applicable within 6 months from due date

Search:

Not Applicable.

Examination:

Formality.

Recordation Applicability :

Registrations.

Time Frames (Up To):

Search: 0 days.

Registration: 1 month.

-          Filing to Examination decision 15 days

-          Registration to Certificate Issuance 15 days

Recordation: 1 month.

Appeal: 1 month

Opposition: 0 months.

Cancellation Action:

Applicable for Non-use for a period of 3 years from grant before the Courts.

Infringement Measures:

Damages, Fine and Imprisonment.

Filing Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing)
• Deed of assignment signed by both parties duly legalized as above, if the applicant is not the inventor. (Required at the time of filing)
• Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed. (May be submitted within 90 days)

Maintenance Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing in case we are not the agent of record)

Assignment Requirements:

• Power of attorney signed by the assignee duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.
• Deed of assignment signed by both parties duly legalized as above.
• Original certificate of registration for endorsement purposes.

License Requirements:

• Power of attorney signed by the licensee duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.
• License agreement signed by both parties duly legalized as above. 

Merger / Mortgage Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate.
• Certificate of merger / mortgage duly legalized as above.
• Original certificate of registration for endorsement purposes.

Name / Address Requirements:

• Power of Attorney in the new name/address duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.  
• A certificate issued by the competent authorities evidencing the changes or an affidavit proving the changes duly legalized as above.

Appeal / Opposition Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing)
• Any document to show prior use in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Brief history of the applicant’s company including list of registrations along with copies of the same in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• The date of first use and registration worldwide and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Extracts from bills/invoices, etc., from the year of inception of the company. 
• Sales turnover from inception up to date in the country of origin and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Any additional helpful documents (ex. Distribution agreements, local advertisements, local newspapers, magazines, etc.) evidencing the use and existence of the mark worldwide and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries.

Industrial Design Information

Type of Design:

Drawings or Models.

Type of Applicant:

Company or Individual.

Validity:

25 years from the international filing date.

Multiple Figures:  

Applicable up to 100 figures.

Annuities:

Renewal for two terms of 25 Years within 1 months from the expiry date or 6 months after expiry date With Surcharge.

Search:

Not Applicable.

Examination:

Formality.

Recordation Applicability :

Registrations.

Time Frames (Up To):

Search: 0 days.

Registration: 1 month.

-          Filing to Examination decision 15 days

-          Registration to Certificate Issuance 15 days

Renewal:1 month.

Recordation: 1 month.

Appeal: 1 month.

Opposition: 0 months.

Cancellation Action:

Applicable for Non-use for a period of 3 years from grant before the Courts.

Infringement Measures:

Damages, Fine and Imprisonment.

Filing Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing)
• Deed of assignment signed by both parties duly legalized as above, if the applicant is not the inventor. (Required at the time of filing)
• Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed. (May be submitted within 90 days)

Maintenance Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing in case we are not the agent of record)

Assignment Requirements:

• Power of attorney signed by the assignee duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.
• Deed of assignment signed by both parties duly legalized as above.
• Original certificate of registration for endorsement purposes.

License Requirements:

• Power of attorney signed by the licensee duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.
• License agreement signed by both parties duly legalized as above. 

Merger / Mortgage Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate.
• Certificate of merger / mortgage duly legalized as above.
• Original certificate of registration for endorsement purposes.

Name / Address Requirements:

• Power of Attorney in the new name/address duly legalized up to the Lebanese consulate.  
• A certificate issued by the competent authorities evidencing the changes or an affidavit proving the changes duly legalized as above.

Appeal / Opposition Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate. (Required at the time of filing)
• Any document to show prior use in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Brief history of the applicant’s company including list of registrations along with copies of the same in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• The date of first use and registration worldwide and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Extracts from bills/invoices, etc., from the year of inception of the company. 
• Sales turnover from inception up to date in the country of origin and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries. 
• Any additional helpful documents (ex. Distribution agreements, local advertisements, local newspapers, magazines, etc.) evidencing the use and existence of the mark worldwide and in the stated jurisdiction or neighbouring countries.

Copy Right Information

Works Protected:

Literary works, Reference works, Computer software and databases, Artistic works Architectural Works, Geographical Maps and Technical Drawings, Engineering Plans and layouts.

Type of Applicant:

Company, Individual.

Related Rights:

Performers, Producers of sound recordings and Broadcasting Organizations.

Term of Protection:

50 years after the author’s death.

Time Frames (Up To):

Registration: 1 month.

Infringement Measures:

Warning, imprisonment, money compensation, confiscation of all copies, fine and closing the violating establishment

Filing Requirements:

• Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Lebanese Consulate.
• Declaration from the author to the applicant signed by both parties duly legalized as above, if the applicant is not the author. 
(All the above required at the time of filing)

Address :

8th Floor, Al Nahfawi Building, Cornish Al Mazraa, Beirut, Lebanon

E-mail :

[email protected]

IP Treaties

Paris Convention Rome Convention
Nice Agreement Berne Convention
WIPO Convention Brussels Convention
Marrakesh VIP Treaty Singapore Treaty