Kuwait is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and of the World Trade Organization (WTO); thus, it is a signatory to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Intellectual property rights (IPR) in Kuwait are protected nominally by local trademark, patents and copyright laws as well as under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Trademark Law and GCC Patent Law.

In 2021, Kuwait was removed from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Special 301 Priority Watch List for making continued and significant progress on concerns that stakeholders identified with intellectual property enforcement and transparency. For example, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) and the Copyright Office each created online portals for streamlining the submission of trademark and copyright violation reports, respectively Kuwait reformed its copyright regime, including in the area of enforcement, by passing the 2019 Copyright and Related Rights Law and the Implementing Regulations. Kuwait also increased engagement and transparency through meetings of the United States-Kuwait Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Intellectual Property Working Group. Kuwait plans to continue improving its IP enforcement systems by providing specialized training for its investigators, prosecutors, and judiciary; by conducting IP focused public awareness campaigns; and by linking information between the MOCI Trademarks and Patents Department and the Kuwait General Administration for Customs Intellectual Property Rights Unit.

New IP laws and regulations enacted during 2015 – 2020 include:

• Gulf Cooperation Council Trademark Law in 2015.
• Copyright and Related Rights Law of 2019.
• In addition, Kuwait acceded to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in 2016.

Contact Information

U.S. Intellectual Property Attaché for Middle East and Africa

Name: Peter Mehravari

Address: U.S. Embassy United Arab Emirates

Telephone: +965 2259-1455

E-mail: aisha.salem-howey@trade.gov

For more resources: Stopfakes.gov

For additional information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S.  Investment Climate Statement website.