IP System Updates in Qatar and Tanzania
Qatar Industrial Designs
The Qatari Intellectual Property Protection Department commenced its acceptance of industrial design applications as of October 26, 2025. This introduces an official route of IP protection for designs in the jurisdiction, replacing the previous, more limited system based on the publication of cautionary notices of design details.
The relevant application forms, required documents, and Qatari design classification system are available on the official government website, however, all industrial design applications must be submitted in paper form to the IP Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Upon filing the application in person, applicants are required to pay the applicable official fees due at the time of submission.
A Qatari industrial design application must be filed alongside a legalised Power of Attorney, the official ID documentation for both the inventor and applicant, the images of the industrial design itself, and a certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
The images of the design included in an application must not exceed 100 drawings, provided that all designs belong to the same class. For three-dimensional designs, the images must cover all views of the design and constitute a total of 25 images or less.
The introduction of official industrial design protection marks a welcome advancement to the IP system of Qatar. With the entry into force of the long-awaited implementing regulations, Qatar has activated a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of industrial designs, marking a significant strengthening of its intellectual property system.
Qatar Madrid Fees
The Qatari IP Department also implemented new revised fees for designating Qatar under the Madrid System as of November 9, 2025.
The fee amendments, which constitute an approximate 12.7% reduction, mean that the cost for the filing of an international application or subsequent designation now comprises 984 CHF as opposed to 1,127 CHF, whilst the fee for the renewal of an international registration has fallen from 876 CHF to 765 CHF.
The aforementioned new fees will apply to any international applications, subsequent designations, or renewals which are processed by the Qatari IP Department on or after November 9, 2025.
Tanzania
On September 26, 2025, it was confirmed that any trademarks registered under the Banjul Protocol, administered by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), are not legally recognised or enforceable in mainland Tanzania even if the country is designated in a regional application filed under the Banjul Protocol.
Applicants are therefore urged to plan accordingly when considering their options for IP protection within Tanzania and the wider region.
Whilst Tanzania is a signatory of the Lusaka Agreement and the Banjul Protocol on Marks, the jurisdiction has not yet implemented the necessary legislative changes into its national IP law to allow for regional protection designating Tanzania.
The enforceability of Banjul trademarks which designate the country was recently considered by the Court of Appeal of Tanzania. The Court ultimately decided that in the absence of national law implementing the Banjul Protocol, “the protection of trademarks from any infringement is only created by being registered in Tanzania”.
This decision means that any Banjul trademarks, which are granted by the ARIPO, are not legally enforceable in Tanzania, even if applicants designate the jurisdiction in an application.
With national trademark registrations in Tanzania now confirmed by the Court of Appeal as paramount for protection in the jurisdiction, applicants are encouraged to pay due diligence when it comes to enforcing their IP rights in the region.