How does the first consultation work and what should I bring?

The first consultation takes between thirty and sixty minutes depending on the volume of documents. Bring whatever relates to the matter: the contract, the correspondence, and any notice, demand or statement of claim you have received. The more complete the documents, the more precise and less hedged our assessment will be.

How are fees determined?

Fees are set out in writing in an engagement letter before we start, based on the type of work, the instance and the expected duration. We claim nothing beyond what that letter provides, and any additional work that arises is put to you and agreed before it is carried out.

How long will the case take?

Duration varies with the type of claim, the competent forum and the instance, and no one can guarantee a date for judgment. What we commit to is a realistic estimate in the written opinion, based on what we see in comparable matters, and notice of any adjournment or change as it happens.

How confidential is what I tell you?

Professional confidentiality is a legal duty on the lawyer that does not lapse when the engagement ends. Access to each file is restricted to its team, and the firm discloses no client name or case detail to anyone save under a judicial order or your written authorisation.

Can I work with you from outside Jeddah?

Yes. We appear before courts and committees across the Kingdom, and consultations and updates are handled remotely by video and documented correspondence, with attendance in person whenever the hearing or the nature of the file requires it.

What if my matter falls outside your practice?

We say so plainly at the first meeting and point you to the office or authority better placed to handle it. An honest referral serves you better than an engagement that consumes your time and fees in the wrong place.

Trademark registration and protection in Saudi Arabia

Legal protection for a trademark arises in principle from registration, not from use alone. That is why many business owners find themselves without a basis the day they see their mark used by someone else, having deferred a procedural step that does not take long.

What can serve as a mark

A mark must be distinctive enough to set its owner's goods apart from others, must not be a direct description of the product or its qualities, must not offend public order or morals, and must not resemble an earlier mark in the same class of activity so closely as to cause confusion. Searching the register before applying saves the fee on an application destined to be refused, and reveals the neighbouring marks that may later oppose it.

Application, examination and publication

The application is filed electronically with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property specifying the classes of goods or services under the adopted classification, then examined as to form and substance; if accepted it is published so that interested parties may oppose within the prescribed period. Selecting classes here is a strategic decision, not a procedural one: confining yourself to a single class leaves your future activity exposed, while expanding without need raises the cost and the cost of renewal after it.

What the owner of a registered mark holds

Registration grants its owner an exclusive right to use the mark on the goods for which it is registered, and entitles them to prevent others from using an identical or similar mark in a way that causes confusion among the public. The owner may deal in that right by licence or assignment under a written agreement, provided the dealing is entered in the register so as to be effective against third parties.

Confronting infringement

Where infringement occurs the matter usually begins with a notice to the infringer demanding that they cease, and many cases end there. If that does not succeed, the route is a complaint to the competent authority or a claim seeking cessation and compensation for the loss suffered. Gathering evidence before sending the notice matters: records of use, images of the products, and whatever establishes your priority — because alerting the infringer may prompt them to remove what would prove the case against them.

Registering a mark is a short procedure measured against the cost of a dispute over it. If you are using an unregistered mark, reviewing its position today is easier than establishing your entitlement to it tomorrow.

This article is a general overview of the laws in force in the Kingdom and is no substitute for advice addressing the facts of your own matter.