Mr. Bader Abdul-Raheem, Deputy Under-secretary of State, expressed hope that the Kuwaiti Parliament will pass the decrees on patents and trademarks by January 2000. The Deputy for Licensing and Commercial Registration said that intellectual property encompasses patents and trademarks as well as copyrights and that the two decrees are important as they are prerequisites for Kuwait joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). Therefore, it is essential that the Parliament amends the current patent law of 1962. The GATT Agreement makes it obligatory for Kuwait to join by the Year 2000.
In answer to a question, Mr. Abdul-Raheem said that the WTO doesn't enforce sanctions on countries which do not join but rather sends them notifications. Likewise, in reply to a question on piracy, he said that the WTO makes it obligatory to protect owners' rights.
Recently the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been reported to have had high piracy rates ranging from 49 - 93%. Kuwait came third after Oman and Bahrain.
Mr. Abdul-Raheem commended a unified GCC patent law which was TRIPs-compatible. He added that the GCC Patent Office is receiving patent applications, some of which are from Kuwait.
In order to become a member of the WTO Kuwait must now meet some commitments including having a local Kuwaiti Patent Office which is complementary to the GCC Patent Office. He added that the GCC countries could utilize one GCC Office once all GCC member countries become members to the WTO.
According to the GCC Patent Office Director, the GCC Patent Office encompasses current trends of intellectual property and achieves the objectives of encouraging investments, of developing modern technology, and helps in industrial and agricultural progress in the area.
The tasks of the GCC Patent Office attached to the Secretariat General of the GCC Countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, include implementing the GCC Patent Law and Regulations, patent documentation, and publication of patent documents.
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