INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SYRIA

The legal basis of trademark registration and protection in Syria is the Law No. 8 of 2007 on the Protection of Trademarks, Geographical Indications, and Industrial Designs and Models.
For getting a trademark registered in Syria, an application has to be filed with the Property Protection Office, which administers the entire trademark registration process.
Syria adopts a ‘first-to-file’ basis for trademark protection.
Syria follows the 11th edition of Nice Classification. Multi-class trademark applications are not acceptable.
The third parties can file opposition actions against a trademark application within ninety (90) days following its publication date in the official gazette.
A trademark registration is valid for ten (10) years from the date of application, which can be further renewed indefinitely for successive periods of ten (10) years each before the expiry date.
The grace period to renew a trademark after the date of expiry is six (06) months.
The term for cancellation of a registered trademark based on non-use is three (03) years from the date of registration.

Syria is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
The Syrian Patent Law No.18 was issued in the year of 2012 to grant patent protection to the inventions.
For seeking patent protection in Syria, an application has to be filed with the Syrian Patent Office, which administers the entire process of patent grant.
In Syria, an invention that satisfies the conditions of originality, novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, subjects to patentability. Process patent and product patent are the two types of patents that can be protected.
The types of patent applications that can be filed include Non-Convention Application and Convention Application.
A pre-grant opposition may be made within three (03) months from the date of acceptance. Every interested person may object in writing against a patent application by requesting to the Directorate upon payment of the specified fee within six (06) months from the publication date.
A patent is valid for fifteen (15) years. Annuities are to be paid on or before the anniversary date of filing the patent application even before the grant of the patent. A grace period of six (06) months is allowed for the late payment of the annuities against payment of a lateness fine.

Law No. 8 of 2007 on the Protection of Trademarks, Geographical Indications, and Industrial Designs and Models – governs the mechanism of industrial design registration in Syria.
The design applications accepted by the Property Protection Dept are published for opposition by the public.
The types of industrial design applications that can be filed in Syria include Non-Convention Application and Convention Application.
Utility model protection isn't provided under industrial design protection in the nation. However, the protection to utility models is provided under the Patents Law.
Opposition against an industrial design application can't be raised in Syria.
The total duration of industrial design registration in Syria is fifteen (15) years from the date of application. The initial duration of a design is five (05) years from the date of filing and expires five (05) years after the last day of the month in which the registration application was submitted.
The registration may be renewed for two (02) consecutive periods of five (05) years each provided that the renewal is made during the last year of the protection period after paying the prescribed fees & this renewal needs to be published in the directorate journal.
The grace period to renew a trademark after the date of expiry is six (06) months.

Syria is a member of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. In addition, copyright protection in Syria is governed by Law No. 12 of 2001.
The Syrian Copyright Protection Department (CPD) started entertaining copyright applications in Syria, but the governmental fees is required to be paid later on, once specified.
The standard copyright protection term lasts for the lifetime of the author plus fifty (50) years following his death. However, the duration of copyright protection varies depending on the type of work.
The copyright protection term of works of applied art lasts for twenty-five (25) years from the date of creation.