Patents: Gulf Co-operation Council

The Gulf Co-operation Council (Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) is an economic, political and to some extent military union of the states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Council's objectives are

• To effect coordination, integration and inter-connection between Member States in all fields in order to achieve unity between them.
• To deepen and strengthen relations, links and areas of cooperation now prevailing between their peoples in various fields
• To formulate similar regulations in various fields including the following: Economic and financial affairs Commerce, customs and communications Education and culture
• To stimulate scientific and technological progress in the fields of industry, mining, agriculture, water and animal resources; to establish scientific research; to establish joint ventures and encourage cooperation by the private sector for the good of their peoples.

To further the last objective the Supreme Council of the Gulf Co-operation Council has established a Gulf Co-operation Patent Office ("GCCPO") at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The GCCPO grants Gulf Co-operation Council patents for inventions which stand alongside national patents in all the GCC member states. The legislation establishing the GCC patent is the Patent Regulation for the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

The GCCPO opened for applications on 3 Oct 1998. A list of granted patents appears in a journal known as the "Bulletin Patents" which is published on the GCCPO website.

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