Trademark registration in Lebanon

Trademark registration is a crucial step for businesses seeking to establish a strong brand identity and protect their intellectual property rights in Lebanon. By formally registering a trademark, companies can gain exclusive rights to use a distinctive mark, logo, or phrase that represents their products or services. Lebanon is located at the crossroads of trade routes between the East and the West, whose seaport Beirut is one of the most important seaports in the Mediterranean region. It is an ideal location to access a vast market of more than 500 million people. Lebanon possesses many potentials to develop the tourism industry such as rich and diverse cultural heritage, beautiful and unique natural landscapes, developed tourism infrastructure. Lebanon is a member of many international organizations such as the Arab Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization and participates in many free trade agreements, facilitating import and export to expand international cooperation opportunities for economic development. This article of Viet An Law Firm will explore the key considerations and legal requirements for successful trademark registration in the Lebanese market.

Legal basis

• Law No. 14/87 of 4 May 1987 on Taxes and Fees for Issuance of Trademarks and Patents in the Official Gazette (as amended by Law No. 707 of 9 December 2005)

The concept of “trademark” in Lebanon

• Distinguishability: The trademark must be unique enough to differentiate the business’s product or service from other products. Generic terms or mere descriptions do not qualify.
• Legal: A trademark must not violate public order or morals.
• Can be represented by images: Trademarks need to be clearly descriptive for registration and publication.

Conditions for trademark registration in Lebanon

Here are the main conditions for trademark registration in Lebanon:

Distinguishability: The trademark must be unique and capable of distinguishing the applicant’s goods or services from others. General terms, descriptive elements, or simply product names do not qualify. The applicant may not use a trademark registered by another company for similar products or services.

Legal: The trademark must not violate public order, morals or existing Lebanese trademarks. It must not mislead or mislead consumers. Trademarks or logos that encourage violence, hate speech, or illegal activity will not be accepted.

Pictorial: The trademark should be clearly described in a way that allows for examination and disclosure of future potential. This can be a logo, design, lettering mark, or a combination.

Types of trademarks that can be registered in Lebanon

Lebanon has a broad approach to trademark registration, allowing protection of a wide variety of marks. Here are the types of trademarks that can be registered:

Traditional brands:

• Words: Include brand names, slogans, or creative words (e.g. “Lipton”, “Zahrat Beirut”).
• Logo and Design: Specific symbols, graphics, or designs related to the applicant’s trademark (e.g., the Lebanese Cedar logo, the company’s unique product design).
• Combination: Combining words and design to create a stronger brand (for example, a clothing brand’s logo with a brand name).

Non-traditional trademarks:

• Color: A single color or specific color combination if it’s unique enough (for example, the signature blue of a Tiffany & Co. jewelry box). However, the color is not a common trademark registered in Lebanon compared to other types.

Other potential trademarks (subject to applicability):

• Sounds: Specific musical signs, tracks, or sounds associated with a brand (for example, the roar of an MGM lion). The ability to register an audio trademark in Lebanon may be uncertain compared to traditional trademarks.
• Three-dimensional shape: The unique shape of the product or packaging (e.g. Coca-Cola bottle). Although practicable, registering a 3D shape as a trademark in Lebanon may be less common.

Trademark registration documents in Lebanon

To register a trademark in Lebanon, the applicant needs to prepare a complete dossier and submit it to the Intellectual Property Division of the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Here are the main categories of profiles:

Completed Application Form: Applicants can obtain the application form directly from the Intellectual Property Division or download it from the website of the Lebanese Ministry of Economic and Trade. The form requires basic information such as:

• Name, address and nationality of the applicant (individual or organization)
• Type of trademark being registered (e.g. text mark, logo, ,…)
• Detailed list of goods and services protected by trademark (using Nice Classification)
• Date of commencement of use of the trademark (if applicable)

Information about the applicant: A copy of the applicant’s passport or business registration certificate (depending on the individual or organization). Proof of residential or head office address (utility bill, lease agreement,…)

Trademark form: The applicant needs to provide a clear copy of the trademark the applicant wishes to register. For logos and designs, the copy should have good print quality. If the trademark is audio, a high-quality sound recording is required.

Power of attorney (if any): If the applicant applies through a representative organization, a notarized power of attorney should be provided. However, intellectual property lawyers are exempt from this document.

Registration fee: The trademark registration fee needs to be paid within the prescribed time limit. Applicants can refer to the latest fee table from the Intellectual Property Department or the website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Trade.

Trademark registration fees in Lebanon

The exact trademark registration fee in Lebanon may vary depending on several factors:

Trademark Type: The fee depends on whether the applicant registers a traditional trademark (word, logo, design) or a non-traditional trademark (color, sound, 3D shape). However, this difference may be minimal.

Number of classes: The fee may also vary depending on the number of classes of goods and services to which the applicant’s trademark applies. The official fee when applying covers only one class.

Here are some related fees and costs:

Official Filing Fee: This fee covers a basic application process of approximately LBP 1,500,000

Fee per additional class: If the holder’s trademark applies to multiple classes of goods and services, there will be an additional fee for each additional class. This can be around 30,000 LBP ($20) per class.

How to file for trademark registration in Lebanon

To file for trademark protection in Lebanon, you can apply by the following filing methods:

• Direct submission: Customers can come directly to the Intellectual Property Office at Down Town Lazarieh Building Ministry of Economy and Trade – 4th floor Beirut to submit the application and related documents.
• By Post: You can send your application form and all required documents via postal service or courier service to the address of the Intellectual Property Office at Down Town Lazarieh Building Ministry of Economy and Trade – 4th floor Beirut.
• Submit online via website:

Log in to the website and create an account to apply online https://portal.economy.gov.lb/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fTrademarkRegistrationBase%2fApplicantType%3fapplicationTypeId%3d1&applicationTypeId=1    When applying online, you should pay attention to the payment of the relevant fee according to the instructions of the Intellectual Property Office.

Trademark registration service in Lebanon of Viet An Law Firm

• Carry out the search and notify customers in writing the results of trademark search in Lebanon;
• Prepare the dossier and directly file and monitor the status of the trademark application in Lebanon on behalf of the trademark owner;
• Inform, advise and handle deficiencies/refusals of competent State agencies (if any) in the process of monitoring trademark applications in Lebanon;
• Support monitoring, representing the resolution of objections and feedback with intellectual property representatives to carry out procedures in Lebanon.
• Receive dispatches, certificates and hand over to customers (if any).

If you want to IP consulting, file a trademark application in Lebanon, please contact Viet An Law Firm for the most effective support.