Lost in Transliteration: Why Pharma Brands Clear in Latin Script and Collide in Arabic

Across Arab countries, a clearance process, including knockout and full availability searches, may not always provide a complete picture. It is not uncommon for a pharmaceutical trademark to clear comprehensively across the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Levant, and North Africa in Latin script, only to encounter unforeseen challenges when transliterated into Arabic. These challenges rarely present themselves during the early stages of brand development. Instead, they tend to emerge during trademark examination, in opposition proceedings, or, more problematically, after packaging has been approved and the product has been launched. Arabic-script considerations should therefore not be viewed as a mere transliteration exercise to be addressed at the end of the process. Rather, they form an essential component of trademark clearance and should be assessed from the outset as part of the overall brand availability and risk evaluation strategy. Read more insights from Zeina Salameh, Partner and Head of Relationship Management at Saba IP.