I. General Overview
Area: 438,300 square kilometers.
Population: 43.35 million (2022). Arabs make up approximately 78% (Shia, 60% Sunni), Kurds make up approximately 15%, and the remainder are ethnic minorities such as Turkmen and Armenians. Official languages are Arabic and Kurdish. Over 95% of residents are Muslims, with a smaller number practicing other religions, such as Christianity.
The main economic data for 2022 are as follows:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): US$218.4 billion.
GDP per capita: US$5,021.
GDP growth rate: 8.3%.
Currency name: Iraqi Dinar.

II. Treaty Membership
1. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention)
Accession: 1976

2. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Accession: 2022

Iraq has not yet joined the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol, nor has it joined the Hague Agreement. Therefore, trademarks and designs in Iraq can only be applied for directly, but patents can be applied for directly or through the PCT.
Currently, trademark registration in Iraq is divided into two regions: Kurdistan-Erbil and Baghdad. Trademarks need to be applied for in both regions at the same time to obtain full protection.

III. Trademark Application Procedure and Required Documents
1. Trademark Registrable Elements and Types
Elements that can be registered as trademarks in Iraq include: text, graphics, symbols, slogans, three-dimensional logos, color combinations, sounds, etc.
The types of trademarks that can be registered in Iraq include: trademarks for goods, service marks, collective marks, and certification marks.

2. Filing Routes
National filing (direct filing)

3. Required Documents
⦁ Applicant's name and address
⦁ Clear representation of the mark
⦁ List of goods and/or services
⦁ Notarized and legalized power of attorney (the original power of attorney can be submitted late within 6 months from the date of application)
⦁ Other domestic registration certificates or application status, this requirement is not mandatory, but it will help speed up the application process
⦁ If a priority is claimed, a certified copy of the priority document and the corresponding Arabic translation need to be submitted
⦁ Notarized and legalized business license (required in Kurdistan)
Remark:
a. Iraqi Kurdistan has local classifications and sub-classifications, and it is necessary to determine the specific classification and sub-classification
b. Israelis and Israeli companies cannot register trademarks in Iraq

4. Application Procedure and Timeline
Mandatory trademark search: 6-8 months (sometimes 2-3 years)
Filing: Kurdistan adopts the 7th edition of the Nice Classification (Iraq's Baghla adopts the 11th edition of the Nice Classification from January 2025); multiple-class applications are possible; the first-to-file principle is followed
Examination: formal examination and substantive examination
Publication/Opposition: the opposition period is 90 days
Registration: It takes about 12-14 months from filing to registration (sometimes it may take about 4 years).

5. Protection Period and Renewal
The validity period is 10 years from the date of application and can be renewed for 10 years each time before expiration

5. Assignment
Only registered trademarks can be assigned, and a notarized and legalized assignment agreement and a notarized and legalized power of attorney must be provided, and the period is approximately 2-3 years.

5. Chang of Name/Address
Only registered trademarks can be changed. For name changes, a notarized and legalized proof of change and a notarized and legalized power of attorney are required. For address changes, only a notarized and legalized power of attorney is required. The processing period is about 2-3 years.

8. Cancellation
Non-use Cancellation: If a trademark has not been used for three consecutive years, any interested party may file a cancellation request for the non-used trademark.

IV. Trademark application statistics *:
A: Statistics on total trademark applications:
2020: 1,602
2021: 2,132
2022: 2,891
B: Statistics of trademark applications from China:
2022:301