Patents of invention shall, be granted for every new innovation, whether connected with new industrial products, or new industrial processes or means, or with the new application of known industrial means and processes.

A patent of invention shall not be granted in respect of the following:

 1.      Inventions, the exploitation of which is  against morality or public policy; 

2.      Chemical discoveries connected with food – stuffs, or medicinal drugs, or pharmaceutical compositions, unless such products are produced by special chemicals methods or processes. In which case the patient shall not be in respect of the products per se, but the process of manufacture.

The duration of the patent shall be 15 years as from the date of application. The patentee is entitled to apply for one renewal thereof for a period not exceeding five years, provided the renewal is applied for, during the last year, and provided  he proves that the invention is of  special importance and no fructification commensurate with his efforts and  expenses had been derived there from.

Priority can be claimed for patent in Kuwait but the same should be filed before one year prior to the original filing.  If the patent is claiming priority, fax your order letter covering the following:

·        Name of the Applicant(s)

·        Address of the Applicant(s)

·        Nationality of the Applicant(s)

·        Title of the Invention

·        Name of the Inventor(s)

·        Address(s)

·        Nationality

·        Occupation

·        Priority details

·        Legalized Power of Attorney (General Power is sufficient for continuous application     from the same Applicant)

 And all other documents such as:

·     Two copies of a complete specification of Claims.

·     Formal Drawings (Three sets, one set with Latin, two set without any numerals to put Arabic numerals)

·     Legalized Certificate of Incorporation (same Certificate of Incorporation may be used for continuous applications from the same applicant).

·      Legalized Certified Priority document(s).

·      Legalized Assignment of invention from the inventor(s)

 Should be submitted to the patent Office at a later stage and please note that if any of the above documents is other than English an unlegalised copy of the same should be attached.

At present, once an application is filed for a patent  no further action is taken by the Authority. The Kuwaiti Patent Office has not yet started the process of examining, publishing and granting of patents. All patents filed with the Kuwaiti Patent Office are practically in the application stage.

Until the Kuwaiti Patent Office changes the present practice, all filed patent and design applications shall remain as documentary evidence of ownership and priority claim even in the absence of examination and issuance of certificates by the Patent Office. The usual actions of opposition, renewal, payment of annuities, working, and so forth (with the exception of the assignment of applications), are not applicable in Kuwait.