Registration of patents boosts local economy, innovations in Oman

Muscat: Registration of patents is encouraged in Oman in order to protect the rights of inventors, and to contribute to the development of the national economy as well as to market innovations.

The National Bureau of Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP) reaffirmed that the Sultanate of Oman is concerned with the field of intellectual property in all sectors.

This attention and care accorded to intellectual property would contribute to the growth and development of the national economy and would open the door for investors to invest within the Sultanate.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion also accords due care to dissemination of intellectual property culture among members of the society.

The latest statistics issued by the National Bureau of Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion showed that the number of applications for registration of patents has increased during the past five years.

Statistics showed that the number of international applications submitted to the National Bureau of Intellectual Property which stood at 378 in 2017, increased in to 450  in 2021. The national applications registered totalled 13 in 2017 and increased to 102 in 2021.

Nida bint Yaqoob Al Tamtami, Patent Inspection Specialist at the National Bureau of Intellectual Property said the Sultanate has recently signed an agreement on establishment of technology transfer centres and the Lisbon agreement on geographic indicators, besides the joining of other agreements and treaties, which contributed to the development of all fields of intellectual property sector, mainly patents.

She also reaffirmed that the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion continues with its efforts for dissemination of awareness on the significance of intellectual property and organises workshops and training programmes in this field at the government and private sector establishments and schools.