EGYPT EXPERTS HOT NEWS Can gambling and casino trademarks be protected in Egypt? 2 years ago Iwo Bulski Post Views: 480 As a predominantly Muslim country, Egypt prohibits gambling in line with the Qu’ran. However, the practice is not entirely illegal and the country’s trademark legislation reflects this. The Law on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (82/2002) includes no interdiction on the registration of gambling and casino trademarks. However, Article 67(2) of the law prohibits the registration of trademarks that are considered contrary to public order or morality. While land-based casinos are legal in Egypt (there are more than 20 in the country and one on a Nile River cruise), the liberality of the Egyptian government regarding casinos is limited, as the Penal Code expressly prohibits Egyptian citizens from using them, stating that they are exclusively for tourists. Yet in contrast to the United Arab Emirate Trademarks Office, which considers casinos and related services contrary to public order and refuses to register corresponding trademarks, the Egyptian Patent Office does not appear to refer to public order or morality when examining gambling-related marks. There are close to 100 valid national trademarks that identify gambling and casino-related goods and services in Classes 28, 41 and 43 in Egypt. In addition, more than 250 international registrations are valid in Egypt that identify the same goods and services. Of these national marks, 20% are owned by Egyptian applicants. Although these numbers are merely indicative, they demonstrate two things. First, they show that the Egyptian Patent Office accepts gambling and casino trademarks without any excessive restrictions. Second, they illustrate that a difference must be established between the legal ownership of a right and the illegal use of the services related to the same right as far as Egyptian citizens are concerned. As in most countries, casinos are strictly regulated and their number is closely supervised by the government – namely, the Ministry of Tourism. This poses an additional question in terms of trademark rights. Because the number of casinos is limited, many of these marks cannot be used in Egypt and are in jeopardy of being revoked for non-use. However, this must be mitigated by the fact that there are many online casinos in use in the country, albeit none of which are licensed by the government as online gambling is not regulated under Egyptian law. The question then is whether such use would be accepted by the Egyptian registry. Source: worldtrademarkreview.com About Post Author Iwo Bulski Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge. See author's posts Iwo BulskiIssues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: Egypt, gambling, trade mark Continue Reading Previous Guide to understanding gambling in South AfricaNext The gaming industry in Nigeria is continuously expanding and gaining traction More Stories EXPERTS Top 12 Companies Offering IT Certifications: A Comprehensive Guide to Advancing Your Career 2 hours ago Tools EXPERTS KENYA Gamblers stake Sh620 billion in four years as betting craze rises 3 hours ago Samuel EXPERTS WORLD NEWS Entain To Pay Almost $730 Million To Settle Turkish Bribery Claims 3 days ago Samuel EXPERTS UGANDA iGaming in Africa: An overview 3 days ago Samuel EXPERTS HOT NEWS SOUTH AFRICA Africa’s Digital Future and the Rise of Mobile Gaming 4 days ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA President Ruto unveils plan to privatise 35 state companies in Kenya 1 week ago Samuel EXPERTS WORLD NEWS Entain ‘remains confident’ but ‘open to constructively addressing’ investor concerns 1 week ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA Top 10 African payment trends for 2024 1 week ago Samuel EXPERTS NIGERIA Naira maintains stability in crypto market as Nigerians digest Binance $4.3 billion settlement 1 week ago Samuel EXPERTS NIGERIA Uncategorized Lagos Gambling Regulator LSLGA Issues Ban On Unlicensed Gambling Sites 1 week ago Samuel EXPERTS NIGERIA Nigeria: 15 Years After, Supreme Court Hears Lottery Regulation Dispute March 13 1 week ago Szarlot EXPERTS NIGERIA How Lanre Gbajabiamila is Transforming the Lottery Industry 1 week ago Samuel Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.