Registering a logo or brand name in the UAE
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Word mark vs logo
A word mark protects the name itself, in any font or colour. A logo (figurative) mark protects the design as filed. A combined mark protects the name and design as they appear together. If you can afford one filing, the word mark usually gives the broadest protection for the name; the logo protects the look. Many brands file both.
Arabic and English
If you trade under both Arabic and English versions of a name, consider whether one combined mark or separate filings suit you better. A filing protects the mark as shown, so an Arabic version that is not in the filing may not be covered.
What cannot be registered
The law excludes signs such as those that are purely descriptive or generic for the goods, contrary to public order or morals, religious symbols, state flags and emblems, and names or images of people without their consent, as well as marks that copy or imitate a well-known mark.
On the other hand, the law covers newer types of marks — such as three-dimensional shapes, sounds, holograms and smells — if they are distinctive.
Tips for logos
- File the final version — a changed design usually needs a new filing.
- File in black and white for flexibility, or in colour if the colours are part of the brand.
- Make sure you own the copyright in the logo (get it in writing from your designer).