Registration of Non-Traditional Trademarks in Saudi Law Audio Branding as a Model

Abstract

With the growing and accelerating development of the digital economy sector, companies should pay more attention to the Internet instead of the entirely traditional methods, and new types of non-traditional brands, especially audio brands, can attract the attention of consumers more than conventional brands, such as symbols, drawings, pictures, and seals. However, the situation differs in different countries and international organizations. This paper concentrates on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), to determine the extent to which an audio trademark can be registered in Saudi law, as the researchers note that there is an apparent discrepancy in the position between the Saudi trademark law, which requires the registration of a trademark to be perceptible by sight, and the trademark law of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, that Saudi Arabia is part of, and which allows the registration of non-traditional trademarks, such as sound and smell. On the other hand, this paper addresses the requirements needed to register an audio trademark, although the Gulf Cooperation Council Trademark Law legislator does not stipulate those requirements.