Essentials of Intellectual Property and Copyright Laws in Oman

Oman has in recent years made a concerted effort to provide comprehensive laws for the protection of intellectual property. This is demonstrated by the Industrial Property Law promulgated by Oman Sultani Decree No. 67/2008 (as amended by Oman Sultani Decree No. 131/2008) (the “IPL”). The IPL repealed Oman Sultani Decree No. 38/2000 and includes measures to protect owners of trademarks, patents and topography as well as measures to protect against unlawful competition. In addition, the Law for the Protection of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (the “Copyright Law”) promulgated by Oman Sultani Decree No. 65/2008 was established to protect creative works of literature, arts and science and repealed Oman Sultani Decree No. 37/2000. This article provides a brief overview of the essential elements of both the IPL, specifically concerning trademarks, and the Copyright Law, as well as the penalties for non-compliance.

Trademarks under the IPL