Trademarks in Syria

Competent Authority

Trademark registration in Syria is administered by the Directorate of Commercial and Industrial Property Protection under the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, located in Damascus. The official working language is Arabic, and the system is national.

International Agreements

Syria is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (observer status frameworks), and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. However, Syria is not a party to the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol; international registrations cannot be extended to Syria via the Madrid System, requiring direct national filings.

Who May Apply

Natural persons and legal entities engaging in commercial, industrial, or professional activities may apply. Foreign applicants without a residence or principal place of business in Syria are legally required to act through a registered local trademark agent or representative. A Power of Attorney (POA) signed by the applicant is mandatory, and it must be fully notarized and legalized up to the Syrian Consulate.

Online Filing and Search

Filings and administrative procedures are processed through physical submissions and administrative workflows managed by the Directorate in Damascus. Preliminary availability searches of the national register can be conducted via local counsel to identify conflicting prior marks.

Registrable Sign Types

Trademarks may comprise words, names, letters, numerals, figurative designs, drawings, symbols, or combinations thereof capable of distinguishing goods or services. All application elements and documentation must be submitted in or translated into Arabic.

Classification

Syria follows the international Nice Classification system for the registration of goods and services. Multi-class applications are not permitted; a separate application must be filed for each individual class.

Examination

The Directorate conducts a formal administrative examination for completeness, followed by a substantive examination covering absolute grounds for refusal (such as distinctiveness or public morality) and relative grounds (conflicts with prior registered or pending marks on the national registry).

Publication and Opposition

Once an application is approved following examination, it is published in the Official Gazette. Any interested third party may file a formal notice of opposition against the registration of the trademark within a strict statutory window (typically 60 to 90 days) from the publication date.

Timelines

An unopposed standard trademark application typically takes an average of 9 to 12 months from initial filing to final registration certificate issuance, subject to administrative processing speeds.

Protection Duration and Renewal

Trademark protection is valid for 10 years starting from the official application filing date. Registrations can be renewed indefinitely for successive 10-year periods upon submitting a renewal request and paying the requisite fees within the final months of protection, backed by a statutory 6-month grace period subject to late surcharges.

Use Requirements

A registered trademark is vulnerable to cancellation or non-use revocation actions if it has not been put to genuine commercial use in Syria for a continuous period of 3 consecutive years. Syria operates primarily on a first-to-file priority framework.

Post-Registration Procedures

Post-registration modifications—including assignments, licensing agreements, changes of registrant name, or changes of address—must be formally recorded with the Directorate to ensure full legal validity and enforceability against third parties. Recordals require fully legalized documentation.

Legal Remedies

Legal remedies include administrative cancellation proceedings, civil infringement lawsuits before competent courts seeking permanent injunctions and financial damages, and border enforcement measures implemented by customs authorities to intercept counterfeit imports.

Country-Specific Risks and Practical Notes

Because Syria enforces a strict single-class application structure, mandates consular legalization chains for powers of attorney, and requires all documentation to be submitted in Arabic, foreign applicants must carefully coordinate translation and legalization logistics through local representatives.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or consultation. To receive personalized and in-depth guidance tailored to your specific situation, we invite you to schedule a consultation.