With the fastest growing economy in the Arab World, Bahrain is making its global presence in the world. It has the freest economy in the Middle East and as per reports in Index of Economic Freedom published by The Wall Street Journal ranked Bahrain as the 12^th freest economy in the world.

In the last decade, City of London’s global Financial Centres Index ranked Bahrain as the world’s fastest growing financial centre. With the boom in demand of oil, Bahrain’s banking and financial sector has been greatly benefitted from the same with more impetus on the Islamic Banking. Petroleum production and processing is Bahrain's most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. Aluminium production is the second-most exported product, followed by finance and construction materials.

^{[Picture Credit: Bahrain]}

Moreover, the communication and transport facilities being one of the best in the world, Bahrain is home to number of multinational firms and construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Also, with the major influx and shift in the geopolitical economic condition, Bahrain entered into the US as a part of Free Trade Agreement reducing certain trade barriers thereby giving more room to the economy. 

Patents in Bahrain

​​​​​​A patent is an exclusive right granted to the inventor against his invention, which may be a product or a process for a new way of doing something, provided that the patent owner discloses the technical information related to his invention in the patent publication. The protection period is 20 years from the date of application in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The patent application is submitted to the Patent Office by the applicant if he is a national or resident in the Kingdom of Bahrain; foreign applicants who are not resident in the Kingdom must apply through the IP Registration Office or a law firm in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Patents are protected in Bahrain under Law No. 1 of 2004 on Patents and Utility Models, which was subsequently amended by Law No. 14 of 2006 (Bahrain Patent Law).  The law provides protection for patentable inventions and for utility models. The Industrial Property Directorate under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, is the statutory body that oversees the administration of the Patent legislation.

Patent and utility model applications are registered at the Bahrain Industrial Property Office, which sits within the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Patentability

Like that in other countries, Invention in Bahrain will be capable of protection if it involves novelty, inventive steps, and is industrially capable. The pre-condition to the protection of invention in Bahrain, as stated, remains same as in the other countries. Moreover, those inventions, which are contrary to morals or public order, scientific theories, mathematical methods, plants and animals, and methods of treatment will not be granted protection as per the local laws.

Filing for Registration

For the purpose of registration, an inventor can enter Bahrain from three ways. First, entry through a national filing at the Bahrain Industrial Property Office, if appropriate claiming priority under the Paris Convention from an earlier application. The process remains the same as that of entry in different other countries. Secondly commonly used process is that of a national phase entry following an international filing via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Thirdly, the entry via the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Patent Office as a GCC Patent.  The GCC Patent Law, which was approved in 1992, was implemented in Bahrain by way of Law No. 6 of 2014 meaning that patents granted by the GCC Patent Office are applicable in Bahrain.

For taking the route of GCC, there is no requirement of designating member states of interest (either at the time of filing or at the time of grant) or validating a granted patent in the member states of interest. Interestingly, despite not being the signatory of Paris Convention, the applicant may claim priority to an earlier filed application.

Requirements for Filing

The patent filed in the Bahrain must be in Arabic. In case, the patent is not in Arabic, then a translation is required which is certified locally in Bahrain. The important documents required for filing the same are

- the applicant’s and inventor’s details;

- the specification (title of the invention, claims, abstract);

- drawings (if any);

- a copy of the priority document;

- a copy of the signed power of attorney;

- payment of the filing fee.

A simply signed power of attorney can be filed at the time of filing. Nevertheless, Within 90 days after the filing date, further supporting documents must be filed:

• the notarised and legalised copy of the Power of Attorney;
• a copy of the applicant's Certificate of Incorporation or an extract from the commercial register, legalised up to the Bahraini Embassy;
• a notarised and legalised Deed of Assignment; and
• A certified copy of the priority document (if claimed), translated into English and Arabic.

Official Fees (in Bahraini Dinar)

Author: Saransh Chaturvedi (Advocate, LLM (IIT Kharagpur) – an associate at  Global Patent Filing. in case of any queries please write back us via email at support@globalpatentfiling.com.