The Federal Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks and Geographical Indications came into force in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 2, 2022. For the time-being, only the Arab version of the law is available, but the English version should soon be available on the WIPO Lex portal.
GIs are formally introduced and defined as indications showing that a good has originated in the territory of a member country of the World Trade Organisation or in a region, location, or place of that region if the good’s quality, reputation, or other characteristics are primarily due to its geographical origin. The new Law also addresses the conflict between GI and trademarks and prevented the registration of a GI if it causes confusion with a trademark application or with a trademark that has been used in good faith in the country.
oriGIn awaits the publication of the new Law English version to make a more in-depth evaluation. Meanwhile, you can follow the evolution of GIs in national laws in the dedicated page of our website.
