UAE Trademarks office issues change in date for Powers of Attorney requirement to 1 May 2014

Analysis

In our previous update, we reported on a change in practice for Powers of Attorney in the UAE, that has a significant impact on rights holders. This practice change was initially due to come into effect on 1 April 2014. However, the UAE Trademarks Office has since issued a further notice stating that it will now come into effect on 1 May 2014.

Although the effective date has changed, no other elements of the original notification have been amended. Accordingly, this practice change will have an impact on any business that has a deadline with the UAE Trademarks Office from 1 May onwards which requires a Power of Attorney to be submitted.

Recent publications for opposition

On 1 April 2014, the UAE Trademarks Office issued the latest Official Gazette with trademark applications published for opposition purposes. This is one of the largest Gazettes ever issued by the Trademarks Office, with more than 4,000 trade marks published.