The patent draft law in the UAE, mentioned in AGIP Bulletin of November 2002, is now officially issued as Federal Law No.17. The new law that was published in issue No. 93 of the Official Gazette allows for the patentability of chemical inventions related to foodstuffs, drugs and pharmaceuticals.
To comply with the country’s membership in the PCT (since March 1999), the law includes definitions of international patent applications filed within the National Phase of PCT in the UAE.
In this amending law the duration of a patent is 20 years and that of a utility model is ten years; the previous five-year extension period is not included in the new law.
Annuities can be paid within three months after the due date of the annuity. Upon the payment of a fine, a three-month grace period is allowed.