The Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks Registration Act of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2008) unified patent, design, and trademark rules under one statute. Article 1 appears in Chapter One (Patents)—it defines “invention,” not trademarks. Trademark provisions begin in Chapter Three (from Article 30).

Note: Iran’s Act on the Protection of Industrial Property (2024) has largely superseded the 2008 Act for current filings. Article 1 remains important for understanding patent validity and transitional matters.

Chapter One: Patents — Article 1

Article 1 provides:

An invention is the outcome of an individual(s)' mind that produces a certain product or a process for the first time and provides for a solution to a specific problem in a certain line of specialty, technique, technology, industry and the like.

This definition requires human intellectual creation that solves a specific technical problem. Abstract ideas, mere discoveries, and excluded subject matter under Article 4 (such as scientific theories, business methods, and certain diagnostic or treatment methods) fall outside patent protection.

How Article 1 connects to patentability

  • Article 2 — novelty and industrial applicability; non-obviousness to a person skilled in the art.
  • Article 4 — statutory exclusions from patentability.
  • Article 5 — ownership and inventorship (employer ownership unless otherwise agreed).
  • Article 18 — invalidation if Articles 1, 2, or 4 are not satisfied.

Applications must be filed in Farsi with description, claims, abstract, and drawings as required. Foreign applicants typically need a local representative and must complete formalities within prescribed deadlines.

Structure of the 2008 Act

Beyond patents, the Act covers industrial designs (ornamental features of products) and trademarks (registration, renewal, assignment, licensing, and refusal or cancellation grounds). Classification of goods and services for marks is addressed separately—see Article 33 and the 2009 Executive Regulation.

Practical guidance for applicants

Before filing, assess whether subject matter qualifies as an “invention” under Article 1, conduct prior-art searching, document inventorship and ownership, and prepare claims centred on a concrete technical problem and solution—not commercial concepts alone.

Reza Badamchi & Associates advises on patent, design, and trademark strategy under Iranian law. Contact our team for assistance with applications, prosecution, and compliance with current legislation.