Global Innovation Policy Center

March 15, 2017

Saudi Arabia


Primary Sources

  • Anti-Commercial Fraud Law of 2008 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/19 of 23/4/1429H (April 29, 2008))
  • Anti-Concealment Law of 2004 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/22 of 04/05/1425H (June 21, 2004))
  • Anti-Cyber crime Law of 2007 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/17 in 8 Rabi’I 1428 (March 26, 2007))
  • Commercial Agencies Law of 1962 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/11 of 20/2/1962 (22 July 1962))
  • Commercial Names Law of 1999 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/15, 12 Sha’ban 1420 (November 20, 1999)
  • Commercial Register Law of 1995 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/1 dated 21/02/1416 (July 7, 1995))
  • Competition Law of 2004 (promulgated by Royal Decree No.M/25 of 04/05/1425H (June 22, 2004)
  • Copyright Law of 2003 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/41 of 2 Rajab, 1424 (August 30th,2003))
  • E-Government Implementing Regulations (2006)
  • Electronic Transactions Protection Law of 2007 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/8 of 8 Rabi’ I 1428H (March 26, 2007)
  • Implementing Regulation of the Anti-Concealment Law (2005)
  • Implementing Regulations of Commercial Register Law and Ministerial Resolution on the Development of the Registration Procedures (1996)
  • Implementing Regulations of Copyright Law (2005)
  • Implementing Regulations of the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law (2009)
  • Implementing Regulations of the Commercial Agencies Law (1981)
  • Implementing Regulations of the Competition Law (2008)
  • Implementing regulations of the Law of Commercial Data (2002)
  • Implementing Regulations of the Law of Patents, Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs (2004)
  • Implementing Regulations of Trademarks Law, 2002 (2002)
  • Law of Arbitration of 2012 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/34 dated 24/5/1433H (April 16, 2012)
  • Law of Commercial Data of 2002 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/15 14/04/1423 (June 24, 2002))
  • Law of Criminal Procedure of 2001 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/39 of 28 Rajab 1422 (16 October 2001))
  • Law of Judiciary of 2007 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/78 on 19 Ramadan 1428H (October 1st, 2007))
  • Law of Patents, Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs of 2004 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/27 of 29/5/1425H (July 17, 2004))
  • Law of Printed Materials and Publication of 2000 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/32 dated 03/09/1421H (November 29, 2000)
  • Law of the Board of Grievances of 2008 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/78 of 18 Ramadan 1428H (October 1st, 2007))
  • Law of Trademarks of 2002 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/21 of 28 Jumada I 1423 (August 7, 2002))
  • Law on Pharmaceutical Installations and Products of 2004 (promulgated by Royal Decree No.M/31 of 01/06/1425 (June 18, 2004))
  • Penal Law on Dissemination and Disclosure of Classified Information and Documents of 2011 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/35 of 8/5/1432H (April 12, 2011)
  • Procedural Rules before the Board of Grievances (1989)
  • Regulations for the Protection of Confidential Commercial Information (2005)
  • Regulations of Border Procedures for Protection of Intellectual Property Rights of Trademarks and Copyrights (2004)
  • Regulations of Commercial Names Law (2000)
  • Saudi Customs, (2009). Annual Report of Saudi Customs 2009, Fifth Chapter: Custom Seizure, https://www.economena.com/data-catalog/view8000/.
  • Saudi Customs, (2014). Annual Report of Saudi Customs 2014, Fifth Chapter: Custom Seizure, https://www.economena.com/data-catalog/view15073/
  • Telecom Act of 2001 (issued by the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 74 of 05/03/1422H (23 May 2001))
  • The Law of Commercial Courts of 1970 (promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/2 du 15/1/1390H (March 23, 1970))

Secondary Sources

  • Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property, Saudi Arabia, Copyrights: Summary (Accessed August 2016).
  • Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property, Saudi Arabia, Designs: Summary (Accessed August 2016).
  • Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property, Saudi Arabia, Patents: Summary (Accessed August 2016).
  • Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property, Saudi Arabia, Trademarks: Summary (Accessed August 2016).
  • Al Tamimi & Company, Administrative Actions to Enforce Trademark Rights in Saudi Arabia, 6.6.2014 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Al Tamimi & Company, KSA: The Role of a Court Appointed Custodian in cases of Disputed Assets, 4.6.2012 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Al Tamimi & Company, Procedural Changes for Trademark Oppositions and Official Fees Increase in Saudi Arabia, 7.11.2016 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Al Tamimi & Company, Saudi Arabia – New Web Publishing Law, 5.2.2011 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Al Tamimi & Company, Saudi Arabia Adopts Online Trademark System, 1.1.2014 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Al Tamimi & Company, Saudi Arabia: The Competition Law Regime, 4.11.2013 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Aljabre, A. (2012). “Understanding Software Piracy in Saudi Arabia and the Need for Change”, Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 11, pp. 1516-1620.
  • Alogali, A. (2015). “Innovation with Integrity: Exploring Academic Honesty and Intellectual Property in the Middle East, The 2015 WEI International Academic Conference Proceedings, Harvard, US.
  • Al-Tamimi & Company, Patents of Second Medical Use in the UAE, KSA and the GCC Patent Office, 8.2.2016 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Alyafi IP Group, Amendments to Patent Regulations in Saudi Arabia, March 2016 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Arab News, Kingdom clamps down on use of pirated software, 7.2.2013 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Arab News, New law enacted to stamp out piracy in Saudi Arabia, 6.6.2012 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Cedar White Bradley, (2014). “Saudi Arabia” in World Trademark Review Yearbook 2014, pp. 257-263.
  • DLA Piper (2015). Guide to Going Global – Intellectual Property and Technology, pp. 156-161, .
  • El Said, M. (2016). Intellectual Property Law in Saudi Arabia, Kluwer Law International B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands.
  • European Patent Office, FAQ: Saudi Arabia (SA), 30.4.2012 (Accessed August 2016)
  • Freedom House, (2016). “Country Profile: Saudi Arabia” in Freedom on the Net 2015 Report (Accessed August 2016).
  • Gulf News, 22 sites blocked in Saudi Arabia over copyrights issues, 3.4.2014 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Holder, S. and Jomoa M. (2016). The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Patents 2016, 6th Edition, International Comparative Legal Guides pp. 141-146, Global Legal Group Ltd, London, UK.
  • International Intellectual Property Alliance, (2014). 2014 Special 301 Report on Copyright Protection and Enforcement: Saudi Arabia, 7.2.2014.
  • Jones Day, News & Knowledge, Jones Day Publications, The New Saudi Arbitration Law, September 2012 (Accessed August 2016).
  • K.A.Care, (2013). “Proposed Competitive Procurement Process for the Renewable Energy Program (Invitation for Public Feedback)” (Accessed August 2016).
  • K.A.Care (2010) “Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Strategy and Solar Energy Deployment Roadmap”, 17.4.2010 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Kadasa & Partners, (2016). Intellectual Property Protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Accessed August 2016).
  • King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, News & Events, IP Law Enforcement in Saudi Arabia: Why It Matters, 5.11.2013 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Klyde & Company, (2015). Protecting Patentable Technology in Saudi Arabia, 1.3.2015 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Klyde & Company, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia Edges Closer To Implementing The GCC Trade Mark Law, 25.7.2016,
  • Latham & Watkins LLP, Doing Business in Saudi Arabia, May 2010 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Law360.com, What To Know About Trade Secret Law In Saudi Arabia, 26.4.2016 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Lexology.com, Patents in Saudi Arabia – Navigator Q&A, 13.1.2015 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Managing Intellectual Property, Middle East: Saudi Arabia Increases Patent Protection, 23.10.2013 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Practical Law, Patent litigation in Saudi Arabia: overview, Patent litigation Global Guide 2016/17, Thomson Reuters (Accessed August 2016).
  • Price, D. (2007). “The Dynamics Of Intellectual Property Protection In The Arab Gulf States”, International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol.3 No.1., pp. 147-161.
  • Saba & Company, Bulletin Issue 5, May 2014 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Saba & Company, News, Saudi Arabia: Commitment to Robust Patent Protection, 1.11.2013 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Saba & Company, Saudi Arabia: A Review of the Patent Protection System, 30.5.2012 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Saudi Armaco, (2015). “In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) Program”, 1.12.2015 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Saudi Gazette, New Saudization program unveiled, 8.3.2016 (Accessed August 2016).
  • Shale Gas International, News, Saudi Aramco: New rules for suppliers to boost local content development, 8.12.2015 (Accessed August 2016).
  • U.S. Department of Commerce, Doing Business in Saudi Arabia: 2015 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies, 29.7.2015 (Accessed August 2016).
  • U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council, Resources, News Bulletins, Saudi Arabia Removed from IPR “Watch List”, 25.2.2015 (Accessed August 2016).
  • UNESCO, World Anti-Piracy Observatory, Copyright Legislation, Country Profile: Saudi Arabia (Accessed August 2016).
  • WIPO, Statistical Country Profiles, Saudi Arabia (Accessed August 2016).
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