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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Iraq

To register a trademark in Iraq, file with the Trademark Registration Department of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals through an Iraqi registered agent; Iraq is not a Madrid member. Accepted marks are published in 3 consecutive Gazette issues, with a 90-day opposition period after the last; the Kurdistan Region has its own trademark directorate.

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Five questions first

Which route?Iraq is not a Madrid member: you can only file directly with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals through an Iraqi registered agent. Priority can be claimed from a home application filed within the last 6 months.Details ↓What do I need?Applicant name, address and type of business; several copies of the mark; goods or services listed by Nice class; a formal power of attorney. Documents are in Arabic, with certified Arabic translations of any foreign-language documents.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Set by the schedule to the Trademark Law, rising with the number of goods items and paid in three stages: filing, publication, registration. Current amounts as charged by the office; table in preparation. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you order.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory: the Registrar notifies the examination result within 15 days of filing; accepted marks are published in 3 consecutive Gazette issues, followed by a 90-day opposition period from the last issue. The office publishes no average processing time.Details ↓What are the main risks?The Registrar searches earlier marks ex officio; state emblems and misleading signs cannot be registered; a conditional acceptance lapses if you do not reply within 30 days; 3 consecutive years of non-use expose the mark to cancellation at any time.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Iraq: key facts

OfficeTrademark Registration Department of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals; the trademark register is kept by the Registrar of Trademarks, who examines and decides on applications, and the Ministry has handled trademark matters since 21 September 2005. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
Legal basisTrademarks and Commercial Indications Law No. 21 of 1957 (as amended by Order No. 80 of 2004 and Law No. 9 of 2010) and the Trademarks and Commercial Indications Regulations No. 26 of 1957
Madrid SystemNot a member: an international registration cannot designate Iraq; direct filing only
International treatiesParis Convention member since 24 January 1976, so 6-month priority can be claimed; Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks since 29 November 2014; not a party to the Nice Agreement, but the law requires goods and services to be grouped by Nice class
Applicants based abroadApplicants residing outside Iraq can only file through a registered agent holding a formal power of attorney (Regulations, art. 4); all documents must be in Arabic, and foreign-language documents need a certified Arabic translation (Regulations, art. 2)
Multi-class applicationsThe law allows one application to register the same mark in several Nice classes with a single certificate (art. 7); official fees are calculated for each class as if it were a separate application (Regulations, art. 8)
Search and examination (statutory)The Registrar searches registered and pending marks and, within 15 days of filing, notifies acceptance, conditional acceptance or refusal; a conditional acceptance not accepted within 30 days is treated as abandoned (Regulations, arts. 11 and 12)
Publication and opposition (statutory)After acceptance the mark is published in 3 consecutive issues of the Gazette, at least 6 days apart; oppositions may be filed within 90 days of the last publication; the applicant must reply in writing within 30 days or the application is treated as abandoned (art. 11)
Effective dateRegistration takes effect retroactively from the filing date (art. 14); where priority is claimed, the priority date is the filing date of your earlier application abroad
Term and renewal10 years, renewable for further 10-year periods; renewal is filed in the last year of the term, with a 6-month grace period after expiry subject to a 50% surcharge; otherwise the mark is removed from the register (art. 20)
Non-use and cancellationAny interested party may ask the court at any time to cancel a mark unused for 3 consecutive years, one that has become generic or one obtained by fraud; other grounds must be raised within 5 years of registration (art. 21)
Remedies (statutory)The Registrar's decisions can be appealed to the court within 30 days of notification (art. 10); decisions under art. 5(2) and art. 21 are first appealed to the Minister within 30 days and then to the court within a further 30 days (art. 24)
Kurdistan RegionThe Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Trade and Industry has its own Directorate of Trade Mark in Erbil, which handles trademark searches, applications, publication and certificates separately under its own fee regulations
Filing feesSet by the schedule to the Trademark Law and rising with the number of goods items (schedule to Law No. 9 of 2010: filing IQD 200,000 for the first item per application, publication IQD 200,000, registration IQD 250,000 for the first item); the amounts as adjusted by the office remain to be verified

Checked on 2026-10-11; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing: whether to claim priority

Iraq is not on WIPO's list of Madrid Protocol members, so an international registration cannot designate Iraq. For a foreign applicant the real choice is whether, when filing directly with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, to claim priority from an earlier application filed at home. Iraq is a Paris Convention member, and article 6 bis of the Trademark Law provides for 6-month priority.

ItemDirect filing (no priority claim)Claiming priority from an earlier application
PrerequisiteNone; use this route if you have no earlier application or it was filed more than 6 months agoFile in Iraq within 6 months of your first application, for the same mark and goods within the scope of that application
Priority date and effectThe date of filing with the Registrar is the filing date, and registration takes effect retroactively from that dayThe filing date of your earlier application is the priority date, and conflicts with earlier marks are assessed as at that day
Extra stepsNoneState the country, date and number of the earlier application; provide the priority document and its Arabic translation following the agent's instructions
RiskIf someone else files first in the gap between your home application and your Iraqi application, their filing blocks yoursPriority covers only the goods in the earlier application; goods added later have no priority
Best forYou have not filed at home yet, or your home application is more than 6 months oldYou filed at home less than 6 months ago and are worried about squatting in Iraq

Among neighbouring countries, Jordan likewise cannot be designated through Madrid: see Trademark registration in Jordan. Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia can be designated through Madrid and follow different rules: see Trademark registration in Iran, Trademark registration in Turkey and Trademark registration in Saudi Arabia. Not sure? Run a free search first, then submit an order online; the agent will advise you based on the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For a direct filing with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, foreign companies and individuals generally prepare the following information and documents. The agent completes the application form in Arabic in the format prescribed by the Regulations; signed documents such as the power of attorney are provided after the order is accepted, following the agent's instructions.

Applicant

  • Name, nationality, full address and type of business (company, factory, merchant, etc.)
  • Signatory: a company's application is signed by a manager authorised to sign; other legal entities sign through a person authorised to do so (Regulations, art. 7)
  • An address for service in Iraq is provided by the agent; notices the Registrar sends to the recorded address are deemed served, so any change of address must be reported promptly (Regulations, art. 3)

Mark

  • Representations of the mark: one affixed to the application form plus 10 further copies, and 3 more copies for each additional goods item (Regulations, art. 6)
  • If the mark contains foreign-language wording, the Registrar may require a translation or explanation (Regulations, art. 10)
  • If the mark contains an unregistrable element (such as descriptive words), the Registrar may require a disclaimer of exclusive rights to that element, or you may disclaim it voluntarily (art. 8 bis)

Goods or services

  • Grouped by Nice class, with the specific goods or services listed under each class (art. 7)
  • Several classes may be included in one application; official fees are calculated for each class separately (Regulations, art. 8)

Power of attorney and priority

  • Formal power of attorney: applications from abroad can only be filed by a registered agent holding one (Regulations, art. 4)
  • If priority is claimed: the country, date and number of the earlier application; the priority document is provided following the agent's instructions
  • All documents in Arabic; documents in other languages need a certified Arabic translation (Regulations, art. 2)

Iraq is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so apostilles do not apply. The Regulations require only a "formal power of attorney" and certified Arabic translations and do not specify how notarisation or legalisation is to be done; signed documents such as the power of attorney are prepared following the agent's instructions.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: direct filing with no refusal or opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Pre-filing search (recommended)

    You can ask the Registrar whether a mark is registrable; the Registrar replies within 3 days but accepts no liability for the result (Regulations, art. 13). You can also use the free search further down this page

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    The registered agent files the Arabic application form and pays the filing fee; you receive an application number and filing date, from which registration will later take effect

  3. Step 3

    Search and examination

    The Registrar searches registered and pending marks and, within 15 days of filing, notifies acceptance, conditional acceptance or refusal (statutory); a conditional acceptance must be accepted within 30 days or the application is treated as abandoned

  4. Step 4

    Publication

    After acceptance the mark is published, at the applicant's expense, in 3 consecutive issues of the Gazette at least 6 days apart (statutory)

  5. Step 5

    Opposition period

    90 days from the last publication (statutory); if an opposition is filed, you reply in writing within 30 days, each side then has 30 days to file evidence, and the Registrar may hold a hearing before deciding

  6. Step 6

    Registration and certificate

    If there is no opposition, or the opposition is dismissed, you pay the registration fee; the Registrar enters the mark in the register and issues the certificate, which states the Gazette issue of the first publication

The 15-day examination, the 3 publications and the 90-day opposition period are statutory periods; the office publishes no average examination time, so the overall duration depends on the case. If registration is not completed within 6 months of filing for reasons attributable to the applicant, the Registrar sends a written notice, and if the defect is not remedied within 7 days the application is cancelled (art. 16; Regulations, art. 41).

How to read the periods: "statutory" = set by law; "official statistics" = averages published by the office; "estimate" = typical cases. Actual timing varies.

How much

Official fees

Official fees are set by the schedule to the Trademark Law and rise with the number of "goods items": one amount for the first item per application, additional amounts for items 2–3 and from item 4 onwards, and a cap per application. They are paid in three stages: the filing fee at filing, the publication fee after acceptance and the registration fee after the opposition period. Where several classes are included in one application, the fees are calculated for each class separately. The amounts on this page are those of the 2010 statutory schedule; the Registration Department may have adjusted them, and the amounts it requires at the time of payment prevail. The fee table is being compiled, so the table below has no data yet.

Official fees for this jurisdiction are being compiled; after you submit an order, the agent quotes them together with the service fee.

Official fees are as published by the office; the service fee is quoted by an agent after you submit, and you pay only after accepting the quote.

Amounts in the schedule to the Trademark Law (Law No. 9 of 2010, published in Official Gazette No. 4154 of 7 June 2010): filing IQD 200,000 for the first item per application, IQD 20,000 each for items 2–3, IQD 10,000 each from item 4, capped at IQD 500,000 per application; publication IQD 200,000; registration IQD 250,000 for the first item, rising as for filing, capped at IQD 700,000; renewal the same as registration, with a 50% surcharge for late renewal; assignment or merger IQD 250,000 for the first item; change of name or address IQD 200,000; opposition IQD 20,000 and reply to an opposition IQD 10,000; Registrar's search IQD 20,000 per item; licence application IQD 250,000, plus a further IQD 250,000 on approval.

Example (per the schedule): one application, one class, 3 goods items: filing fee 200,000 + 20,000 × 2 = IQD 240,000; publication fee IQD 200,000; registration fee 250,000 + 20,000 × 2 = IQD 290,000; IQD 730,000 (Iraqi dinars) in total.

These are the amounts in the statutory schedule; once the office adjusts its fees, the new rates published in the Official Gazette prevail, and the agent quotes the amounts actually charged at the time of filing.

Service fees, including the Iraqi local agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Iraq and common refusals

Below are the grounds for refusal under Iraq's Trademark Law, together with rules specific to Iraq that are easily overlooked.

State and international emblems, the Red Crescent (art. 5(3) and (4))

Signs identical or similar to the coats of arms, flags and official inspection or warranty marks of Iraq or of other Paris Union countries, and the emblems of intergovernmental organisations, cannot be registered; the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Geneva Cross are likewise barred.

Lack of distinctiveness and misleading signs (art. 5(1) and (7))

Words that directly describe the kind, nature, quantity or origin of the goods, and words with those meanings in the languages commonly used in Iraq, can be registered only on proof of distinctiveness acquired through use; signs containing a false indication of origin or a fictitious or imitated trade name are refused. For marks in a foreign language the Registrar may require a translation.

Conflict with earlier and well-known marks (art. 4 bis, art. 5(8))

At examination the Registrar searches registered and pending marks ex officio; a mark identical or confusingly similar to an earlier mark is refused. Well-known marks are protected even if not registered in Iraq, and that protection can extend to dissimilar goods; a pre-filing search greatly reduces the risk.

Only 30 days to accept a conditional acceptance or reply to an opposition

The Registrar may accept a mark on conditions, for example a disclaimer of an unregistrable element; if you do not signal acceptance within 30 days of notification, the application is treated as abandoned (Regulations, art. 12). Once opposed, you must reply in writing within 30 days or the application is treated as abandoned (art. 11). Notices sent to the recorded address are deemed served, so keep the address accurate.

Cancellation actions within 5 years of registration; 3 years of non-use at any time

Any interested party may ask the court to cancel a registration within 5 years of registration; a mark that has become generic, was obtained by fraud or has not been used for 3 consecutive years can be challenged at any time (art. 21). Ownership of a registration used continuously for 5 years can no longer be contested (art. 3).

The Kurdistan Region has its own registration procedure

The Directorate of Trade Mark of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Trade and Industry runs its own search, application, publication and certificate procedure in Erbil and charges fees under its own regulations. If you need protection in that region, it is handled separately following the agent's instructions.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

An Iraqi registration lasts 10 years, takes effect retroactively from the filing date and can be renewed indefinitely for 10 years at a time. The renewal application is filed in the last year of the term, and the renewal is published once in the Gazette.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Last year of the termFile the renewal application and pay the renewal fee; the Registrar publishes the renewal in the GazetteSchedule: IQD 250,000 for the first item, rising per item
Within 6 months after expiryLate renewal with a surcharge; if still not renewed, the mark is removed from the register, and for 1 year after removal nobody else may register the same mark (arts. 20 and 22)Renewal fee + 50%
At any timeRecording an assignment: the mark is assigned together with the business, or the relevant part of it, to which it belongs (art. 17); the assignment is published first and recorded only if nobody opposes within 30 days (Regulations, art. 43)Schedule: IQD 250,000 for the first item
At any timeRecording a licence (optional): an unrecorded licence does not prevent the licensee from asserting rights (art. 18 bis)Schedule: IQD 250,000 on application and a further IQD 250,000 on approval
At any timeChange of name or addressSchedule: IQD 200,000
Continuously after registrationUse the mark and keep evidence of use (3 consecutive years of non-use exposes the mark to cancellation)—

Article 37 of the Trademark Law allows the owner, before bringing an action and on the strength of the registration certificate, to apply to the investigating judge or the court for the seizure of infringing goods, packaging and tools, including goods imported from abroad; the statutory schedule also lists a fee for a Registrar's confirmation letter to the General Customs Authority, which can be used in customs enforcement. E-commerce platforms' brand registries usually also require a registered or pending mark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Iraq

How much does it cost to register a trademark in Iraq?

Official fees are set by the schedule to the Trademark Law, rise with the number of goods items and are paid in three stages: filing, publication and registration. Under the 2010 schedule, filing is IQD 200,000 for the first item, publication IQD 200,000 and registration IQD 250,000 for the first item; one application in one class with 3 items comes to IQD 730,000. The amounts as adjusted by the office are those published in the Official Gazette and actually charged; the fee table is being compiled. Service fees, including the local agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order.

How long does trademark registration take in Iraq?

Statutory periods: the Registrar notifies the examination result within 15 days of filing; after acceptance the mark is published in 3 consecutive Gazette issues, with a 90-day opposition period after the last; if opposed, you reply within 30 days. The office publishes no average examination time, so the actual duration depends on the case and is longer if there is a refusal or an opposition.

Can Iraq be designated through the Madrid System?

No. Iraq is not on WIPO's list of Madrid Protocol members, so an international registration cannot designate Iraq; you can only file directly with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals through an Iraqi registered agent. Iraq is a Paris Convention member, so priority can be claimed within 6 months of your first application abroad.

Can one Iraqi application cover several classes?

The law allows it. Under article 7 of the Trademark Law, the same mark can be filed in one application for several Nice classes, provided the goods or services are listed class by class, and one certificate is issued on registration. However, article 8 of the Regulations calculates the official fees for each class as if it were a separate application, so a multi-class filing does not save official fees.

How are trademarks handled in the Kurdistan Region?

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Trade and Industry has a Directorate of Trade Mark in Erbil that follows its own procedure: first a search request and a search result certificate, then the application, fees and publication, and finally the application for the registration certificate, with fees under the region's own fee regulations. If you need protection in the Kurdistan Region, mention it when placing the order and the agent will handle it according to local requirements.

What if someone has squatted my trademark in Iraq?

If the mark is still in the publication stage, you can oppose before the Registrar within 90 days of the last publication, stating your grounds and the number of the earlier mark you rely on. If it is already registered, you can ask the court to cancel it within 5 years of registration; if the registration was obtained by fraud or the mark has not been used for 3 consecutive years, cancellation can be requested at any time. Well-known marks are protected by law even if not registered in Iraq. Filing early is the safest course.

Other IP rights

Patents: under the Patents and Industrial Designs Law No. 65 of 1970 (as amended by Order No. 81 of 2004 and Law No. 58 of 2015), invention patents last 20 years from the filing date; Iraq has been a PCT member since 30 April 2022, so PCT applications can enter the Iraqi national phase.

Industrial designs: under the same law, designs are protected for 10 years from the date of issue of the certificate, subject to annual fees; Iraq is not a member of the Hague Agreement, so applications must be filed directly.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Jordan　·　Saudi Arabia　·　Iran　·　Turkey

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Notice: the services described on this page are carried out by locally licensed partner firms; J&C is your point of contact and coordinates and delivers the work. Fees shown are estimates; official fees are those actually charged by the office and the final quote is confirmed by an agent. Examination times are set by each office and the outcome depends on official examination; we make no promise as to results. By submitting an order you agree that the information needed for the work is shared with the relevant partner firm (which may be outside your country). This page is general information, not legal advice.

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