Palestinian National Authority: Summary of the Design Registration System in Palestine

The Palestinian Territories, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, have separate jurisdictions with regard to Intellectual Property matters.

The Palestinian Trademark and Patent Laws of 1938 are adopted in the Gaza Strip while the Jordanian Laws are adopted in the West Bank. The two Laws are very similar. For obtaining full protection all over the Palestinian Territories, we recommend filings in both jurisdictions.

Designs are protectable through registration with the competent office. A separate application has to be filed in each jurisdiction. Such a registration is effected without any novelty examination at the applicant's responsibility.

A design registration is valid for five years from the filing date renewable for two similar periods of five years each.

A registration of a design is subject to cancellation in the event any interested party requests such a cancellation before the competent tribunal. Cancellation can be based on the grounds that the subject design was not novel at the time of filing the relevant application or that the design is applied through manufacturing processes to any article in a foreign country and is not so applied through any manufacturing processes in the territories to such extent as is reasonable in the circumstances of the case.

There is no provision in the current Design Law for compulsory working or licensing with respect to designs.

Infringement or unauthorized use of a registered design is punishable under the current Design Law.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

For further information you make also like to view the Intellectual Property Bulletins published monthly by Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property - IP Bulletins