Trademark Symbols in the UAE: When to Use ™ and ® and the Rules

Trademark symbols are not required in the UAE, but using them correctly signals your rights and using them wrongly can be an offence.

™ (trade mark)

Use on any sign you claim as a brand, registered or not, including pending applications. It has no legal effect but warns competitors and supports a later bad-faith argument.

® (registered)

Use only for a mark that is actually registered in the UAE, and only for the goods and services in the registration. Using ® on an unregistered mark, or in a class where it is not registered, can be treated as misleading the public under the Trademark Law and consumer-protection rules.

Registered abroad but not in the UAE

A foreign registration does not entitle you to use ® in the UAE. Use ™ until the UAE registration issues, or the Madrid designation of the UAE is granted.

Where to place the symbol

Top-right of the mark on packaging, labels, signage, website headers and app icons. On documents and websites, marking the first or most prominent use is enough.

Arabic and English

Both ™ and ® are understood in the UAE market. There is no Arabic-script equivalent in general use; the symbols are used with Arabic marks as well.

Copyright and service marks

© marks copyright works (logos as artwork, text, software). ℠ (service mark) is not used in UAE practice; ™ covers services too.

Related

• Register the trademark so you can use ®
• Logo registration
• Copyright vs trademark

Send us the brand name and what it covers for a free preliminary check and a fixed-fee quote – contact us. Official services and fees: MoET links.