Article 96

The following are not registrable as trademarks:

1. 1.A mark that does not distinguish the goods or services of one person from the goods or services of other persons.
2. 2.A mark whose content or exploitation is contrary to Sharia principles, the law, or public order, or which insults religious sanctities.
3. 3.A mark that misleads the public, particularly as to the geographical origin of the goods or services or their characteristics, such as type, quality, quantity, and price.
4. 4.A mark that is identical to a mark or trade name that has previously become well known in Iran for the same goods or services.
5. 5.A mark that is identical or similar to, or a translation of, a mark or trade name that has previously become well known in Iran for the same goods or services or for similar goods or services, provided that it misleads the public.
6. 6.A mark that is similar to, or a translation of, a mark or trade name that has previously been registered in Iran, or whose registration has been applied for, or which enjoys priority, for the same goods or services, provided that it misleads the public.
7. 7.A mark that is identical or similar to, or a translation of, a mark or trade name that has previously become well known, or been registered, or whose registration has been applied for, or which enjoys priority, in Iran for other goods or services, provided that it causes confusion or damages the interests of the owner of the earlier mark.
8. 8.A mark that is identical or similar to a military insignia, flag, or other state emblems, or the name, abbreviation, or initials of a name, or an official sign belonging to a country, an intergovernmental organization, or organizations established under international conventions, or of which the aforesaid items form a component, unless the competent authority of the country concerned or the relevant organization has authorized its registration.
9. 9.A mark that is identical to, or in a misleading manner similar to, signs relating to historical eras or ancient monuments.
10. 10.A mark that is identical or similar to marks issued by certifying organizations and authorities, such as the National Standards Organization of Iran and the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, for the certification of goods and services.
11. 11.A mark that is identical to another person's registered industrial design for the same goods or services.

Note — "Well-known marks" means the marks referred to in Article 6bis of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, and their determination rests with the Registration Authority.