The Ministry of Commerce and Industry exhorted owners of innovation institutions, inventors, researchers and entrepreneurs to submit to the Ministry their scholarly innovations on combating coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic to help protect these innovations against plagiarism.

The cautionary note referred to all types of innovations, including early detection, diagnosis and any ways of prevention or protection against the virus by whatever novel electronic applications.

 In this context, Ali bin Hamad al-Ma’amari, Director of Intellectual Property at the Commerce and Industry Ministry, said that the spread of coronavirus prompted many individuals and establishments across various sectors to invent a large number of devices to combat the disease and prevent its propagation.

Al-Ma’amari pointed out that officials at the Ministry are in contact with innovators to secure the registration of their innovations in coordination with the competent authorities.  The Ministry is advising innovators about proper procedures to present patents so to ensure their legal registration at the Intellectual Property Department.

Al-Ma’amari stressed the need to benefit from Ministerial Decision No. 20/2018 on a 90%-reduction of industrial property rights fees for school, college and university students and researchers while small and medium enterprises (SMEs) get 50% discount on the intellectual property rights service fees.  He said that this initiative help activate and increase applications for registration, and he called upon innovators to approach the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to exercise their rights to these discounts. ONA