Trademarks in Jordan

Competent Authority

Trademark registration in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is administered by the Directorate of Industrial Property Protection (IPPD), operating under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, located in Amman. The official working language is Arabic, and the system is national.

International Agreements

Jordan is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. However, Jordan is not a party to the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol; therefore, international registrations cannot be extended to Jordan via the Madrid System, and brand owners must execute direct national filings.

Who May Apply

Natural persons and legal entities engaging in commercial, industrial, financial, or service activities may apply. Foreign applicants without a domicile, residence, or genuine industrial/commercial establishment in Jordan are legally required to act through a registered local trademark agent or representative. A Power of Attorney (POA) signed by the applicant is mandatory, and it must be fully notarized and legalized up to the Jordanian Consulate.

Online Filing and Search

Filings and official procedures are managed through the administrative procedures and digital registry frameworks established by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Preliminary availability searches of the national register can be conducted through the IPPD database.

Registrable Sign Types

Trademarks may comprise words, invented names, slogans, devices, logos, labels, signatures, letters, numerals, 3D shapes, and color combinations capable of distinguishing goods or services. Non-Arabic or non-Latin characters and words require certified Arabic translations and transliterations.

Classification

Jordan follows the international Nice Classification system for the registration of goods and services. Multi-class applications are not permitted; a separate application must be filed for each individual class.

Examination

The IPPD conducts a formal administrative examination for application completeness and classification, followed by a substantive examination covering absolute grounds for refusal (such as distinctiveness or contravention of public order) and relative grounds (conflicts with prior registered or pending marks on the national registry). Applicants typically have a statutory period of 30 days to respond to any official office action or provisional refusal.

Publication and Opposition

Once an application is approved following examination, it is published in the Official Gazette. Any interested third party may file a formal notice of opposition against the registration of the trademark within a strict statutory window of 3 months from the publication date.

Timelines

An unopposed standard trademark application typically takes between 10 to 14 months from initial filing to final registration certificate issuance.

Official Fees

Official state fees are denominated in Jordanian Dinars (JOD) and are structured across filing, publication, and certificate issuance milestones. Because official tariff amounts are governed by ministerial schedules subject to administrative adjustment, exact baseline fee breakdowns are processed directly through local counsel upon filing.

Protection Duration and Renewal

Trademark protection is valid for 10 years starting from the official application filing date. Registrations can be renewed indefinitely for successive 10-year periods upon submitting a renewal request and paying the requisite fees within the final year of protection, backed by a grace period for late renewals.

Use Requirements

A registered trademark is vulnerable to cancellation or revocation actions if it has not been put to genuine commercial use in Jordan for a continuous period of 3 consecutive years. Jordan operates primarily on a first-to-file priority framework.

Post-Registration Procedures

Post-registration modifications—including assignments, licensing agreements, changes of registrant name, or changes of address—must be formally recorded with the IPPD. Recordals require submitting fully notarized and consular-legalized documentation to ensure legal validity and enforceability against third parties.

Legal Remedies

Legal remedies include administrative cancellation actions before the Registrar or competent courts, civil infringement lawsuits seeking permanent injunctions and financial damages, and border enforcement measures implemented by customs authorities to intercept counterfeit imports.

Country-Specific Risks and Practical Notes

Because Jordan operates outside the Madrid System, enforces single-class application rules, and requires strict consular legalization chains for powers of attorney, foreign applicants must carefully plan documentation logistics well in advance to avoid procedural rejections.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or consultation. To receive personalized and in-depth guidance tailored to your specific situation, we invite you to schedule a consultation.