Guides & Briefings

Intellectual property in Jordan is protected by several statutes: the Trademarks Law No. 33 of 1952 and its amendments, the Copyright Law No. 22 of 1992 and its amendments, and the Patents Law No. 32 of 1999 and its amendments. Industrial designs, trade secrets, and unfair competition are covered by further dedicated laws. Registration of trademarks and patents is handled through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply.

A shareholder agreement supplements the Companies Law No. 22 of 1997 and its amendments. The statute sets the baseline rules, but it does not supply protections such as tag-along and drag-along rights, deadlock mechanisms, or pre-agreed exit terms. Putting these in writing before a dispute arises is what prevents a minority or majority shareholder from being trapped later.

A trademark is registered by filing an application with the trademark registrar at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, under the Trademarks Law No. 33 of 1952 and its amendments. The application is examined and published, and once registered the mark gives the owner the exclusive right to use it for the goods or services covered, with the ability to renew.

Copyright protection arises automatically when a work is created, under the Copyright Law No. 22 of 1992 and its amendments, so registration is not a condition of protection. Depositing a work can still help as evidence of ownership and date if a dispute arises. The protection covers literary, artistic, and similar works for the term set out in the law.

A practical checklist covers company filings with the Companies Control Department, tax registration with the Income and Sales Tax Department, social security registration with the Social Security Corporation, any sector licences, anti-money-laundering and beneficial-ownership duties under the Law No. 20 of 2021, and data protection under the Personal Data Protection Law No. 24 of 2023.

Yes. Patents are protected under the Patents Law No. 32 of 1999 and its amendments. An invention that is new, involves an inventive step, and is capable of industrial application can be registered through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, giving the patent holder the exclusive right to exploit the invention for the protection term set by the law.