Trademark registration in Lebanon

The trademark office and official links

Trademarks in Lebanon are registered by the Intellectual Property Protection Office, Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET).

• Trademark office: Intellectual Property Protection Office, Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET)
• Online filing: official e-filing portal
• Trademark search: official trademark database
• Law: Resolution No. 2385 of 17 January 1924 on commercial, industrial, literary, artistic and musical property (as amended by the law of 31 January 1946)
• Law: Law No. 324 (in force 15 February 2024) amending IP fees and reducing the trademark protection period

Official fees in Lebanon

The office does not publish an up-to-date fee schedule we could verify. Ask firms that cover Lebanon for a quote that shows official and professional fees separately — post a request or compare packages.

How to register a trademark in Lebanon

1. Search the Ministry of Economy and Trade trademark database for earlier identical or similar marks.
2. File the application online through the Ministry portal or at the Ministry (also possible through Libanpost), with six representations of the mark, a typed declaration and the list of goods and services.
3. Foreign owners file through a representative residing in Lebanon, with a power of attorney if the owner does not file personally.
4. The Director of the Intellectual Property Protection Office examines whether the mark can be registered; refusals can be appealed to the Council of State within 30 days.
5. Pay the fees, have the registration statement published in the Official Gazette, and collect the registration certificate.

Examination, publication and opposition

• Examination: The Director of the Intellectual Property Protection Office examines the application before deciding whether registration is possible (Art. 81 of Resolution 2385/1924); refusals go to the Minister and can be appealed to the Council of State within 30 days. No official time frame was found.
• Publication: Official Gazette (registration statement published after filing)

Protection, renewal and use

• Term: 10 years, renewable.
• Rights system: mixed.

Filing from abroad

• Local agent: Owners need not reside in Lebanon, but a foreigner registering a trademark must be represented by a person residing in Lebanon (Art. 77 of Resolution 2385/1924).
• Power of attorney: A power of attorney is required if the application is not filed by the owner; the Ministry's applicant guide says it need not be a certified copy. Notarisation or legalisation requirements were not stated.

Firms on TrademarksHub that cover Lebanon can act as your local agent — see firms.

Madrid Protocol

Lebanon is not a member of the Madrid System, so an international registration cannot cover it. You need a national filing, usually through a local agent.

Trademark classes

Nice Classification (the Ministry refers applicants to the WIPO classification for choosing classes). Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.

How Lebanon compares

• Renewal: every 10 years — compare all countries
• Foreign owners: required — rules in every country

Guides: registering in any country · costs by country · Madrid

Good to know in Lebanon

• Lebanon is not a member of the Madrid System, so protection requires a national filing.
• Under Law No. 324, in force 15 February 2024, the protection period for new applications is 10 years instead of 15; marks registered or renewed before that date keep their 15-year term until the next renewal.
• Ownership is tied to filing, but a prior user with written evidence can challenge the first depositor; such claims are generally barred five years after filing unless the depositor knew the mark belonged to someone else (Arts. 72-75 of Resolution 2385/1924).
• The 1924 law sets out no formal pre-registration opposition procedure.
• Well-known marks are protected through Lebanon's membership of the Paris Convention, as the 1924 law does not cover them explicitly.

Questions