[6][7] The Iranian Law of Registration of Marks and Patents of 1931 stipulates that a trademark is any type of logo, design, picture, number, letter, word, seal, wrapper, etc.
The law provides for registration of various types of marks chosen to identify industrial, commercial or agricultural products and goods.
The Law of Registration of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks[8][9] was first passed by the Iranian parliament on 23 January 2008 for a probationary period of five years, effective from May 5, 2008.
[citation needed] The Majlis (Parliament) also ratified a bill in May 2001 to recognize and enforce international arbitration awards, a decision designed to grant companies greater protection over their property.
[1] According to Nourlaw, the new law, unlike its predecessor gives priority to patents and industrial designs over trademarks and is substantially more scrupulous in the protection of these instruments, as it is of intellectual property rights.
According to the State Registration Organization of Deeds and Properties, a total of 9,570 national inventions was registered in Iran during 2008.
[citation needed] Types and duration: A trademark may be registered for ten years, renewable indefinitely for additional ten-year periods.
Failure to observe the Copyright Law has prevented overseas companies from investing in Iran’s software industry.
in 1959 and the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (Paris, 14 November 1970.)
[16][17] The Council of Ministers passed Decree H24305T/6921 in December 2003, ratifying Iran’s accession to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and its protocol.
As a direct consequence, Iran’s Customs Administration has banned the import of goods that are produced overseas but bear Iranian brand names.
[18] Iran's government has not agreed to be bound by WTO copyright laws, endorsing the free distribution of unlicensed software in massive quantities.
Linux, freely reproducible even in countries with strong Intellectual Property (IP) laws, is also growing in popularity within Iran, however.
However, while weak patent law adherence continues in Iran, it is expected this will create significant barriers for Iranian companies prospecting trade on the global market.