Erbil has moved to strengthen brand protection across the Kurdistan Region.
The Trademark Office has extended the validity period for registered trademarks from the previous term to 15 years, a change that reshapes how businesses should plan new filings and renewals going forward.
Old Rule vs New Rule, Side by Side
Feature | Previous Rule | New Rule (Effective Now) |
Protection period | Shorter validity term | 15 years from date of registration |
New applications | Examined under prior term | Examined and granted with the 15- year term |
Pending applications | No specific transition rule | Moved to the new 15-year term once registered, if no certificate was issued before the effective date |
Existing registered trademarks | Governed by original filing terms | Stay under the terms of their original registration |
Renewals | Prior renewal cycle | Follow the 15-year cycle, standard fees and procedures apply |
Why the Kurdistan Trademark Office Made This Change
The reform is designed to give local and international businesses stronger, longer-term brand protection while aligning the Kurdistan Region’s trademark practice with evolving regional intellectual property standards. A longer validity period reduces the administrative burden of frequent renewals and gives brand owners more certainty over the lifespan of their registered rights
Who the New 15-Year Term Applies To
New applicants
Any trademark application filed from now on will be examined and, if approved, granted a 15-year protection period counted from the date of registration.
Pending applicants
If an application is already in process and no registration certificate has been issued by the effective date, it will be treated under the new 15-year term once it is registered.
Existing trademark holders
Trademarks already registered under the previous term are not affected retroactively. They remain governed by the rules that applied when they were originally filed, including their existing renewal timeline
What Brand Owners Should Do Next
- Check the status of any pending Kurdistan Region trademark applications to confirm whether they will fall under the new term.
- Factor the longer 15-year cycle into renewal budgeting and IP portfolio planning for new filings.
- Keep existing certificates and their original renewal dates on file, since old registrations are not automatically extended.
- Coordinate regional filings if the same brand is also registered in Iraq, the GCC, or other jurisdictions with different validity terms
Key Takeaways
- New trademark filings in the Kurdistan Region now carry 15 years of protection from registration.
- Pending applications without an issued certificate move to the new 15-year term once registered.
- Existing registered trademarks keep their original terms and renewal cycle.
- Renewals under the new term follow standard Trademark Office procedures and fees.
