Saudi Arabia approved a new law that protects geographical indications of local products and penalizes misuse, imitation, and false origin claims.
Info Box
Who: Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property
What: Geographical Indications Protection Law
When: Effective 180 days after publication
Where: Saudi Arabia
Why: To stop misuse and false origin claims for local products
How: Prison terms, fines, and product or tool confiscation
Law takes effect after publication window
The new law takes effect 180 days after release in the Official Gazette. The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property will issue the related rules within the same period.
The law blocks unauthorized use or imitation of any sign that links a product to a place of origin. The aim is to stop any act that misleads buyers about the source of food items, craft goods, or other origin-linked items.
Penalties for violations
The law sets prison terms from one month to three years. Fines run from SR5,000 to SR1 million. The court may apply one penalty or both.
Violations include:
- Illicit commercial use of a geographical indication
- Any form of counterfeiting
- Attempts to name or market a product in a way that copies the protected sign
- Use of shapes, packaging, or ads that copy a protected product
- Use that creates unfair competition
The court can order the removal or destruction of seized items at the expense of the offender. Tools and equipment used in the violation may also be confiscated.
A final ruling may be published in a newspaper or another outlet at the offender’s expense. Repeat offenses lead to doubled penalties and closure of the activity for 15 days to six months.
Scope of protection
Geographical indications cover products linked to a place of origin, including food, craft goods, and farm products.
The law supports national goods with origin-linked qualities such as Saudi dates, Taif roses, and Najran honey.
The law blocks any imitation that might mislead buyers about the real source of these goods. It also supports wider protection through international agreements.
National register for geographical indications
The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property will maintain a register. The register will store:
- Names of geographical indications
- Product details
- Registration requests
- Related transactions
- Required data under the new rules
Outlook
Saudi Arabia plans steady enforcement once the law takes effect. More details will be released as the rules are published.
Stay tuned for updates.
