Insights

Bahrain’s Intellectual Property Office has reported that its IP portal, previously disrupted by a technical failure, is now fully restored. The authority has also clarified that late filings caused by the service interruption will not attract late fees and should not prejudice core deadlines such as priority claims; affected users should now complete any pending steps through the online system as soon as possible.

The practical message is reassuring but not a reason to slow down. The temporary allowance to submit certified legal documents, including powers of attorney, within three months helps applicants dealing with overseas execution and legalisation formalities. Still, case owners should promptly review filing receipts, payment records and missing documents, treating the grace period as a recovery measure rather than a new operating timetable.

Jordan’s Cabinet has advanced amendments to the Investment Environment Regulation, with a clear focus on reducing procedural friction for foreign investors entering the market. The changes are expected to simplify business registration and improve the way related checks, including trade names and trademarks, are handled before or during registration. For companies planning a Jordanian entity or brand launch, the practical point is straightforward: name clearance and trademark registrability may need to be assessed earlier in the investment process.

A separate but connected filing update is also relevant. The Jordanian Trademark Office has moved to the 13th edition of the Nice Classification for new trademark applications and no longer accepts filings based on the 11th edition. The 13th edition does not add new classes, but it updates certain goods and services terms, class headings and explanatory notes. Applicants should review Jordan specifications before filing, rather than reusing older lists that may create office actions, delay or a narrower-than-intended scope of protection.

Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched five new intellectual-property e-services covering copyright and neighbouring-rights recordals, certificate issuance, amendments, assignments and official file enquiries. The update is practical rather than cosmetic: for creators, rights holders and IP agents, copyright-related filings can now be handled with a clearer digital trail, reducing reliance on paper submissions and fragmented follow-up.

The copyright upgrade sits alongside Qatar’s recent implementation of the 13th edition of the Nice Classification, after which all 45 trade mark classes are now available for registration. Businesses entering or expanding in the Gulf should treat the two moves together. Brand filings, copyright deposits and ownership-transfer documents need to be mapped before an application is filed; a faster online system helps only if the internal records are already clean enough to support it.

The UAE government’s 1 May 2026 update on intellectual property enforcement puts online infringement in sharper focus. Look-alike packaging on social media and e-commerce platforms, unauthorised use of product images, and fake brand accounts are now framed as issues for faster takedown action and administrative penalties, with telecom regulators expected to support a more coordinated response.

The second message is practical: customs and police cooperation is becoming more evidence-driven. Dubai Customs and law enforcement are tightening the chain of evidence across import, storage and distribution, while repeat commercial infringement may face escalating fines. Brand owners entering the Gulf market should not treat enforcement as a last-minute reaction; image authorisations, channel records, platform monitoring and customs filings need to be in place before a problem becomes public.

In early May, WIPO renewed its warning to users of the PCT and Madrid systems after a wave of fraudulent emails sought payment of unofficial fees. The messages often imitate official wording, use misleading sender details, and claim that the recipient’s protection status has been compromised. Some appear to invoke the names of WIPO, the EPO, the EUIPO or national offices in the Americas, creating the impression that an urgent payment is needed to preserve an application, registration or renewal.

The practical risk is straightforward: these emails target the moments when applicants are already managing deadlines, translations, renewals and official fee payments. A payment request that arrives outside the normal channel should be checked against the official case record, verified payment routes and known office communications before any action is taken. For companies using international IP systems, payment verification is no longer a minor accounting step; it is part of basic portfolio risk control.

Mexico’s amended Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property has turned ambush marketing into a more immediate compliance issue for brands planning campaigns around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The reform published on 3 April adds a specific administrative infringement to Article 386 of the LFPPI, covering acts that lead the public to reasonably assume an official sponsorship relationship between a distinctive sign and a mass public or private event.

For non-sponsors, the risk now extends beyond unauthorised use of official logos. Social media copy, promotional hashtags, colour schemes, ticket campaigns, influencer posts and retail displays may all require closer review if they suggest partnership, endorsement or official status. The practical message is simple: football-themed advertising is not automatically off-limits, but any campaign that borrows the event’s commercial aura should be cleared before launch, with evidence showing that the brand is not presenting itself as an official sponsor.