13,350 trademarks enter the Kuwaiti market in one year

Tariq Araabi

Trademark activity in Kuwait witnessed a notable surge in 2025, as the Ministry of Commerce and Industry received 13,351 applications for trademark registration. This indicates the scale of activity related to trademark registration, protection, and the management of associated rights within the local market. During the same year, the number of transactions for trademark registration and the issuance of certificates reached 10,518.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s 2025 annual report, the Trademarks Department handled a total of 63,116 transactions, generating total fees of 6.08 million dinars. These fees were distributed across a wide range of services, including trademark registration, publication, renewal, transfer of ownership, licensing for use, and amendments to owner or agent details. The department also handled objections, appeals, preliminary examinations, cancellation requests, and other services related to trademark protection.

Data revealed that the first stage of the trademark registration cycle accounted for a significant portion of the department’s activity. There were 13,351 trademark registration applications, with fees collected amounting to 600,800 dinars. The ministry recorded 11,644 transactions for the publication of trademarks, with fees totaling 291,100 dinars. This was followed by 10,518 transactions for trademark registration and certificate issuance, with total fees reaching 2.5 million dinars.

These figures illustrate the scale of the procedural cycle trademarks undergo before registration is completed. Filing a registration application does not necessarily lead to the immediate issuance of a registration certificate, which explains the discrepancy between the number of applications submitted and the number of registration and certificate issuance transactions during the year.

Existing trademarks also saw significant activity in terms of renewals. The ministry recorded 6,468 applications for trademark renewal during the final year of their protection period, with fees totaling 1.7 million dinars. Additionally, there were 634 renewal applications filed within the six months following the expiration of the protection period, with fees amounting to 196,540 dinars. The number of transactions for publishing trademark renewals reached 7,103, with total fees of 319,600 dinars.

Activity in the trademark market also extended to the transfer of ownership among holders. There were 1,406 applications for the annotation of trademark ownership transfer, with fees totaling 63,270 dinars. The publication of ownership transfer operations recorded the same number, 1,406 transactions, reflecting activity in the transfer of registered trademarks between owners in accordance with the regulatory procedures adopted by the ministry.

In another aspect of trademark activity, the report recorded 303 applications for the annotation of licensing for the use of a trademark, alongside 303 transactions for publishing such licenses. These transactions enable the licensing of trademarks to third parties within the framework of applicable legal regulations.

Data also showed extensive activity in updating trademark, owner, and agent details. There were 245 applications for the annotation of changes to the trademark owner’s name, with fees totaling 11,025 dinars. The number of applications for changing the trademark owner’s address reached 1,460. The ministry also recorded 430 applications for changing the name and address of the trademark owner or agent, and 2,033 applications for changing the name of the registered agent. The number of transactions for publishing amendments to the trademark owner’s or agent’s name or address reached 4,167.

Activity was not limited to registration, renewal, and ownership transfer. The ministry also handled disputes and objections related to trademarks, recording 87 appeals against decisions to refuse trademark registration or to suspend registration subject to conditions. There were 272 applications for objections to the acceptance of trademark registrations, in addition to 65 applications for setting sessions to hear statements.

Conversely, the department recorded 46 applications for amending the form of a trademark and 46 transactions for publishing such amendments. It also received 24 applications for the cancellation of a trademark registration by its owner, and 32 applications for the partial cancellation of goods or services covered by the trademark. Additionally, there were 56 transactions for publishing requests after the partial cancellation of goods or services.

Among other services, there were 280 applications for obtaining certified copies or replacements for lost registration certificates. The ministry recorded 649 applications for preliminary examination of trademarks, alongside 18 transactions for renewing registration in the agents’ register.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s activities in the field of intellectual property were not limited to processing transactions. The report noted the implementation of several activities aimed at raising awareness among business owners and inventors about intellectual property rights. These included participation in the International Inventions Exhibition in the Middle East, and the organization of a forum for intellectual property offices to facilitate the exchange of expertise among relevant authorities and rights holders. The ministry also participated in Gulf events honoring inventors and developing cooperation in the fields of trademarks, patents, and industrial designs.

The department also worked to enhance Gulf cooperation in patent examination and established a fast-track examination pathway for citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. It collaborated with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to organize specialized training programs in the examination of trademarks, patents, and industrial designs. Furthermore, the ministry conducted inspection campaigns at commercial establishments to verify compliance with legal procedures regarding trademark registration and the protection of intellectual property rights.