Trademark Registration in Iran- Protect Your Brand Nationwide

Generally, no. US persons and entities are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving Iran, including the provision of legal and IP services, under US sanctions law administered by OFAC. Limited exceptions may exist in certain circumstances (including for certain informational services and humanitarian activities), but these must be assessed by qualified US sanctions counsel. Legacy Partners cannot provide Iran trademark services to US persons or entities. Non-US applicants must independently verify their own sanctions compliance obligations before filing.

Yes. Iran is a member of the Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Marks. A WIPO international application can designate Iran as part of a multi-country filing strategy, subject to the applicant’s sanctions compliance. Non-sanctioned applicants can include Iran in a Madrid filing alongside other Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and global jurisdictions. The Madrid route may offer procedural advantages for non-US applicants building multi-country IP portfolios that include Iran.

All filings before IPGO must be in Persian (Farsi), written in Arabic script. This is the sole official language of Iran for legal and administrative proceedings. All supporting documents not originally in Persian must be accompanied by certified Persian translations. Legacy Partners manages all translation and transliteration requirements through its network of Iranian patent attorneys.

The opposition period in Iran is 30 days from the date of publication of the application in the Official Gazette (Rooznameh Rasmi) and IPGO Trademark Bulletin, extendable upon application. This is one of the shorter opposition windows among Middle Eastern trademark jurisdictions. Third parties holding prior rights may file an opposition within this window.

Iranian trademark examination includes a specific assessment of whether a proposed mark conflicts with Islamic values, Islamic law (Sharia), or public morality as defined under Iranian law. Marks containing imagery, words, or symbols that are prohibited under Islamic principles — including depictions considered contrary to Islamic morals, references to alcohol or pork products in certain contexts, or symbols associated with non-Islamic religious observance in ways deemed disrespectful — may be refused registration. This is a distinctive feature of Iranian trademark examination practice not found in most other jurisdictions and must be carefully considered when preparing the application and mark description. Legacy Partners’ local Iranian patent attorneys advise clients on the Islamic values examination as part of pre-filing strategy.

Yes. IPGO conducts both absolute grounds examination (distinctiveness, descriptiveness, public order, Islamic values) and relative grounds examination (conflicts with earlier registered marks and well-known marks in Iran). This means that a conflict with a prior registered mark may be identified during examination, in addition to the 30-day opposition window following publication. Thorough pre-filing searches are essential.

A registered trademark must be put to genuine use in Iran within three (3) years of registration. This is a shorter non-use vulnerability period than the five years applicable in many jurisdictions. A trademark that has not been genuinely used within this period may be vulnerable to cancellation on non-use grounds. Rights holders should document commercial use in Iran carefully and account for any practical barriers that the sanctions environment may create for use in the Iranian market.

Iran became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023, joining a regional grouping that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. SCO membership reflects Iran’s deepening economic and political integration with major non-Western trading partners. For trademark strategy, this means that businesses with operations in SCO member countries — particularly China, Russia, and the Central Asian states — that also have Iranian market exposure should consider coordinated trademark filing strategies covering both Iran (via the Madrid Protocol) and other SCO member jurisdictions. Legacy Partners can advise on multi-country Middle East and Central Asia filing strategies for eligible non-sanctioned clients.

Yes, subject to sanctions compliance. Individuals and foreign companies may register a trademark in Iran without incorporating a local entity. A locally registered Iranian patent attorney (vakīl-e esmārī) must be appointed to represent foreign applicants in all proceedings before IPGO. All applicants must satisfy the sanctions compliance requirements applicable to their jurisdiction before engaging in any Iran trademark activity.

Yes. As a member of the Paris Convention, Iran extends protection to well-known marks within the meaning of Article 6bis of the Convention. The 2008 Trademark Act provides specific provisions for well-known mark protection, and IPGO’s relative grounds examination considers well-known marks when assessing conflicts. Rights holders of internationally well-known marks may invoke this protection in opposition and cancellation proceedings before IPGO.

Yes. A registered trademark may be assigned or licensed in Iran, subject to applicable sanctions compliance requirements. Assignments and licences must be recorded with IPGO in the Iranian Trademark Register to be enforceable against third parties. Licensing arrangements involving Iranian entities may require specific sanctions analysis under applicable US, EU, and UK sanctions regimes.

The practical challenges specific to Iran trademark registration include: the international sanctions environment and associated banking/payment restrictions; the requirement to file in Persian (Farsi) with Arabic script; the Islamic values examination; the mandatory use of a locally registered Iranian patent attorney; the 3-year use requirement in a market where sanctions create commercial barriers; and the WTO observer (non-member) status meaning TRIPS is not formally binding. Legacy Partners’ network of Iranian patent attorneys is experienced in managing these practical complexities for eligible non-sanctioned clients.

Several categories of non-sanctioned businesses have legitimate reasons to register trademarks in Iran: companies based in countries not subject to US, EU, or UK sanctions (including businesses based in China, Russia, Turkey, India, and many other countries) that trade with Iran; European and Asian businesses with historical or ongoing licensed commercial relationships in Iran that are legally permissible under applicable sanctions; businesses building long-term IP portfolios that establish priority rights in anticipation of future sanctions relief; and rights holders who need to record prior trademark rights in Iran to prevent bad-faith registrations by local parties. Legacy Partners advises non-US and non-sanctioned clients on the risk-benefit balance of Iran trademark filings on a case-by-case basis.

For eligible non-sanctioned clients, Legacy Partners provides access to Iran trademark registration services through its network of locally registered Iranian patent attorneys (vakīl-e esmārī) in Tehran, with transparent fee structures, sanctions compliance screening, and coordinated multi-country Middle East and Central Asia IP portfolio management. Legacy Partners does not provide Iran trademark services to US persons or entities or to parties subject to applicable sanctions regimes.