In March 2026, one rule was applied across a series of flavour-variant labels in our files: it is the Iraqi Trademark Office's established practice not to accept a mark that combines a foreign word with its direct Arabic translation within the same mark. In one of these files, the Arabic flavour word had to be removed from the trademark image.
Two related principles:
- A mark is treated as consisting of all the words and elements it contains. They form an integral and inseparable part of the mark as filed, and protection extends to the mark as a whole in that exact form.
- Descriptive wording about the flavour or nature of the product is not a distinctive element, and the Registrar may require its Arabic translation to be removed.
The cost is time and a changed image: the amended image is the one that is filed.
Before filing a trademark in Iraq, check every Arabic word on a bilingual label. If it simply translates a Latin word in the same mark, the Registrar may require it to be removed, so brief the owner early.
Questions about Arabic elements in your Iraqi filings? We are happy to review a label before you file.