Oman - Annuity Payments on PCT National Phase Applications

We have recently ascertained that the Omani Patent Office has begun to review patent applications, after a long period of inactivity. Following this news, we have learnt that the Patent Office has issued a decision dated 21 October 2009, in which it is stated that yearly renewal fees must now be paid in respect of all patent applications. Previously, annuities were only payable after the grant of a patent.

The Patent Office's official decision requires that annuities must now be paid on the first and each subsequent anniversary of the PCT filing date, in respect of all PCT national phase applications, and all accumulated back fees that are therefore now payable to date should be attended to before 1 April 2010. However, we have also been advised that the official fees for patent matters in Oman will shortly be increased. We therefore recommend that we attend to the payment of all due fees in respect of your patent cases before the end of 2009.

The Patent Office has also decided that the term of PCT national phase cases will be 20 years from the national filing date. As you will appreciate, this calculation method differs from other PCT States, in which the term is invariably calculated as 20 years from the international filing date. We are therefore querying this matter with our associates, and will post further news on our website when we have learnt more.

12th November 2009