Intellectual Property in Iran: How Patents, Trademarks, Designs, and Creative Works Are Protected
by Sadegh Shamshiri
Key points
- Industrial property in Iran is now governed by the Industrial Property Protection Act 2024, in force since 22 October 2024, replacing the 2008 Act. Its executive by-law has not yet been issued, so the 2008 regulations remain in force in the interim.
- Iran is in the Paris Convention, PCT, and Madrid Agreement and Protocol, so foreign applicants can reach Iran through the international patent and trademark systems.
- Iran is not in the Hague System (designs must be filed nationally) and not in the Berne Convention (foreign copyrights get no automatic protection).
- For copyright and software, the practical safeguard is contract, not registration.
What intellectual property rights does Iran protect?
Iran protects patents, utility models, trademarks, trade names, industrial designs, geographical indications, trade secrets, and copyright, and it penalises unfair competition. Industrial rights and copyright sit under separate statutes, and the country participates in most — though not all — of the international treaties that make cross-border protection routine elsewhere. The gaps, set out below, are where careful planning earns its keep.
Which law governs industrial property in Iran?
The Industrial Property Protection Act 2024 is the governing statute. It entered into force on 22 October 2024 and replaced the Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks Registration Act of 2008. The new Act modernises the field and, for the first time, gives statutory protection to utility models, trade secrets, certification and collective marks, and rules against unfair competition.
Two practical points are easy to miss and worth stating plainly. First, the Act’s executive by-law has not yet been enacted; until it is, the executive regulations of the 2008 Act continue to apply. Second, official fees are now payable in Iranian rials, online, rather than in euros as before — a change that, despite higher nominal fees, has often reduced the real cost for foreign applicants.
Which international IP treaties is Iran part of?
Iran is connected to most of the global industrial-property systems. The table shows what each membership gives an applicant in practice.
| Treaty / system | Iran’s status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Paris Convention | Member | Priority right for national filings within 6 or 12 months. |
| Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) | Member | International patent route; enter the national phase in Iran. |
| Madrid Agreement & Protocol | Member | Designate Iran in an international trademark application. |
| Nice Agreement | Member | Standard class system for trademarks. |
| Locarno Agreement | Member | Standard class system for industrial designs. |
| Lisbon Agreement | Member | International layer for appellations of origin. |
| Madrid Agreement (Indications of Source) | Member | Curbs false or deceptive source indications. |
| WIPO Convention | Member | General WIPO membership. |
| Hague System (designs) | Not a member | No international design route; file nationally in Iran. |
| Berne Convention (copyright) | Not a member | No automatic protection for foreign works; rely on domestic law and contract. |
| UPOV (plant varieties) | Not a member (accession initiated) | Use domestic plant-variety protection for now. |
Can I register a trademark in Iran through the Madrid System?
Yes. Because Iran is party to both the Madrid Agreement and the Protocol, a foreign owner can designate Iran in an international application, and an Iranian owner can extend a national mark abroad the same way. For example, a European beverage producer entering the Iranian market can add Iran to an existing international registration rather than filing afresh. Classification follows Nice, examination covers both absolute and relative grounds, and third parties may oppose.
Is Iran in the Hague System for industrial designs?
No. Iran is not a member of the Hague System, so there is no international shortcut for designs — each must be filed nationally. A furniture maker protecting a chair design across several markets can use one Hague application for the member states but must file a separate national application in Tehran for Iran. Plan for Persian-language representations that meet local formalities, and check novelty before filing.
Does Iran protect foreign copyrights? Is Iran in the Berne Convention?
Iran is not a party to the Berne Convention or the WIPO internet treaties. In plain terms, a foreign work does not receive automatic, Berne-style protection in Iran. Protection rests instead on Iran’s domestic copyright law and, more importantly, on how the underlying agreements are drafted.
The practical lesson is that contract, not registration, is the hinge. A foreign software vendor licensing into Iran is far better served by a well-drafted licence — clear deliverables, source-code escrow where appropriate, a governing-law clause, and an arbitration provision — than by any reliance on treaty protection that does not exist. Registration helps at the margins; the contract carries the weight.
How is software protected in Iran?
Software is protected under the Act on Protection of Rights of Computer Software Creators (2000), read together with general copyright law and, where the criteria are met, patent law. As with other creative works, robust licensing terms do more practical work than registration alone.
How are geographical indications protected in Iran?
Geographical indications are protected by national statute, with registration, opposition, and enforcement available domestically. Iran’s membership of the Lisbon Agreement adds an international layer for appellations of origin. Saffron is the obvious illustration: a producer can secure national GI protection and, where eligible, use the Lisbon route for the appellation.
Are plant varieties protected? Is Iran a member of UPOV?
Plant-variety protection rests on national law — variety registration, seed and seedling control, and biosafety rules. Iran has begun the process of acceding to UPOV but is not yet a member, so the domestic route is the one to plan around for now, while watching for accession.
A practical filing guide
1. Patents and utility models. Use the PCT for the international stage and enter the national phase in Iran on the standard timeline. The 2024 Act adds the utility model as a lower-threshold option for incremental inventions that may not clear the inventive-step bar for a full patent. Freedom-to-operate analysis and a sound translation strategy both matter.
2. Trademarks. Use the Madrid System to designate Iran, or to extend an Iranian mark abroad. Classification follows Nice; expect examination on absolute and relative grounds, and the possibility of opposition.
3. Industrial designs. There is no Hague route, so file nationally in Iran. Check novelty, avoid purely descriptive features, and prepare Persian representations that match local formalities.
4. Geographical indications and appellations. Consider national GI registration; where eligible, use the Lisbon Agreement for appellation-of-origin protection abroad.
5. Copyright and software. Registration is not the hinge — contracts are. Use clear licence terms, define deliverables and escrow arrangements, and include local enforcement, governing-law, and arbitration clauses.
Frequently asked questions
Does Iran recognise foreign copyrights? Not automatically. Iran is not in the Berne Convention, so foreign works rely on domestic law and on well-drafted contracts rather than treaty protection.
What law governs IP in Iran now? The Industrial Property Protection Act 2024, in force since 22 October 2024, which replaced the 2008 Act. Its executive by-law is still pending, so the 2008 regulations apply in the interim.
Can I file an industrial design in Iran through the Hague System? No. Iran is not a Hague member; designs must be filed nationally in Iran.
Can foreign applicants pay official fees in euros? No longer. Under the 2024 Act, official fees are paid in Iranian rials through online channels.
Does Iran protect utility models? Yes. Statutory utility-model protection was introduced for the first time by the 2024 Act.
Is Iran a member of UPOV? Not yet. Iran has initiated accession; for now, plant varieties are protected under domestic law.
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Sadegh Shamshiri
Sadegh leads on legal strategy and represents high-profile clients in IP litigation and enforcement — across trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, and domain names, including complex multi-jurisdictional disputes.