New regulations for annual fee payment in Saudi Arabia

Recently, the Saudi Arabian Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) announced new regulations on patent applications, clarifying the access rights and payment guidelines for patent application details. This regulatory change is crucial for companies and individuals who plan to or have already applied for patents in Saudi Arabia.

Under the new rules, access to patent application details is strictly limited to applicants, inventors or their legally authorized agents. This means that only those with formal authorization documents (such as a power of attorney) can view or manage information related to patent applications.

For applications filed before December 2023, SAIP still allows all entities to pay annual fees, regardless of whether they are registered agents, and does not require a power of attorney. However, for patent applications filed after December 2023, the new law stipulates that the payment of annual fees must be made by a designated service agent and a duly signed power of attorney must be submitted.