The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in Qatar has announced significant updates to the validation of power of attorney (POA) documents and a series of fee reductions, aimed at improving efficiency and encouraging investment.
Validation of Power of Attorney Documents: Circular No. 5/2024 introduces significant changes to the validation of POA documents:
- Validity Period: POAs are now valid for only three years.
- Legalization: POAs issued outside of Qatar must be legalized up to the Qatari Consulate in the country of issuance and then authenticated by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar. This super legalization ensures the documents meet necessary legal standards.
- Sworn Translation: A sworn translation must be provided along with the POA from an accredited translation office.
Key Changes and Fee Adjustments: The PTO has also issued Ministerial Decision No. 60 for 2024, implementing fee reductions for patents and industrial designs. Effective July 11, 2024, these reductions aim to improve efficiency. Some of the adjusted fees include those related to patent registration and technical examination, patent grant and publication, and technical search requests.
Notably, the revised filing and examination fees for patents are now to be paid upon filing, while publication and grant fees are to be paid upon acceptance. These new fees will be consolidated into one item, rather than being separate as before.
For more information or assistance with the new requirements, please contact news@sabaip.com.