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D.C.I.P. started to issue a trademark gazette in July 2003 and
now D.I.C.P is issuing the trademark gazette through the Ministry
of Supply Journal, which is used by the Ministry of Supply and
Home Trade. D.I.C.P. will issue a publication of the trademarks for
which the duration of their protection will end in the last quarter
of the year.
In addition to the official gazette which publishes trademarks,
renewed trademarks, notations/licenses, property transfer, change of
name or address and industrial designs are also published.
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information
The Directorate of Commercial and Industrial Property Protection in Syria uses the International Classification of Goods and Services for the purposes of the registration of marks (Nice Classification).
Previously, D.C.I.P. had used the class and its sections.
ex., Bleaching preparation and other substances for laundry use; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations , soaps; perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions, dentifrices.
* This class was divided into sections as follows:
3/1: Bleaching preparation and other substances for
laundry use, cleaning, polishing, scouring and
abrasive preparations.
3/2: Various kinds of soups.
3/3: perfumery, essential oils.
3/4: cosmetics, hair lotions.
3/5: dentifrices, shaving foams.
3/6: shampoos.
Recently, D.C.I.P has abolished the sections and uses only the class (Nice Classification).
The acceptance has been done according to the goods or services that relates to the activities of the company or persons.
The applicant should specify in his application the classes he wants and the class must coincide with his commercial activity which is clarified in his commercial record.
IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep
D.C.I.P. is still using the manual searching system regarding trademarks through a special section called the examining section.
They archive the cards of trademarks according to the Arabic and English alphabets.
V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems
D.C.I.P., in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has designed a searchable Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design access-based program which will be developed into an Oracle database in the future. This program facilitates the procedures for depositing trademarks. It also facilitates the mechanism of searching procedures.
These programs help D.C.I.P. in the searching process.
We will mention in another paragraph the steps for registering trademarks in the the trademark program.
We use scanners to scan the photos and link these photos with their trademarks in the WIPO trademarks program.
We will also issue the trademark certificate from the program directly.
We will publish the official gazette, directly, from the program in the future and we will put these programs on Internet to facilitate the searching process.
VI. Administration of trademark services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering trademarks, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
* Administrative provisions of the Directorate of Commercial and Industrial Property Protection in Syria:
The provisions of the legislative decree 47 of 1946 which is amended by law No. 28 of 1980 and Paris convention of 1883 and London document which our country joined in 1934 and Stockholm document that, our country joined in 2002 and a legislative decree No. 135 of 1960 which contains the trademark and a legislative decree No. 8 of 1993 that contains the fees for the registration.
There is a study to join the Madrid Treaty and Madrid Protocol.
The Trademark Division is an essential division of the D.C.I.P. It consists of the following sections:
1. Examination section and computer section.
2. Trademark section.
3. Renewed trademark section.
4. Notation section /licenses, property transfer, change in the name or address, etc.
5. Industrial design section.
6. Legal Section.
* The stages of depositing applications:
The applicant or his agent deposits an application to the Receiving Section in
D.C.I.P.
- The application should contain the following information or it will be
abolished:
1. The name and address of the applicant.
2. The name and address of the agent if available.
3. The kind of the trade or the industry that the applicant owns.
4. A short brief description of the trademark.
5. Specifying goods or services.
6. A certificate of the state of origin if available.
7. Power of attorney if the agent is available.
8. A composition of the pharmaceutical of the trademark.
The following documents should be enclosed with the application:
a. Two copies of the trademark model which clarify its color.
b. The original copy of the power of attorney.
c. Metal model of the trademark and a certificate of the state of origin if available.
d. The required financial fee.
Then, the Receiving Section gives a serial number to the application, passes it to the computer section to be loaded and then to the examination section to examine the trademark accurately.
This process takes almost one month. Then the application is transferred to the head of the Trademark Division to propose acceptance or refusal and finally to the director to make the final decision.
If the trademark is accepted, the application is transferred to the computer section to be loaded as a temporary application. Then it is transferred to the Receiving Section to put a published receipt to the application.
Finally, it is transferred to the Trademark Section for a registration date and number. Then, it is loaded on computer as a registered trademark after which the certificate is issued.
Then the file is transferred to the archive to be saved.
In the case of refusal, the file is transferred to the archive to be saved.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information
There is a national mutual exchange between D.C.I.P. and the Syrian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They help D.C.I.P. in designing an Internet site to load the trademark, patent and industrial design program.
D.C.I.P sends and receives trademark gazettes distributed in the following countries: TR- US – EPO – ES – RU – JP.
VIII. Matters concerning education and training including technical assistance to developing countries
The Al-Basel Fair for invention and innovation is organized yearly in cooperation with WIPO. Many local and foreign activities are shared in this important fair after which a regional seminar for trademarks and patents is organized in cooperation with WIPO.
In October 2003, the trademark and patent seminar will be organized in cooperation with WIPO .
D.C.I.P. employees attend seminars and training courses which are organized by WIPO or by the Syrian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
IX. Other relevant matters