The patent legal system in Iraq: The path to efficiency of its statutes

• Historical review of IP legislation background in Iraq.
• Current IP law detailed, including patentability and compulsory licences.
• Challenges of meeting TRIPs & WTO requirements explained.
• Limited availability of information on Iraqi patents and applications discussed.

Iraq is estimated to play a key economic role in the future of its region, and its patent system is a significant component in that industrial progress. This article outlines the Iraqi patent system to assess its worthiness as legal protection for industrial property: a brief history of the legal system in Iraq is also given with a focus on the history of the patent system. Three main issues are addressed in the patent system. Patentability is the first and the most significant issue in the patent system and is examined in some detail. The duration of protection is considered as the second point. The article explores compulsory licences in the third point. It also explains the currently limited availability of information on Iraqi patent applications and patents, and notes that electronic databases are being developed. In the last section of the paper, the efficiency of the patent legal system in Iraq as an instrument to protect industrial innovation is discussed.