WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  IP/N/1/SAU/U/1 
13 November 2006 
 (06-5453) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:   English/ 
 anglais/  inglés 
 
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS NOTIFIED UNDER 
ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
 
SAUDI ARABIA 
  The present document reproduces the text
1 of the Regulations for the Protection of 
Confidential Commercial Information, which Saudi  Arabia has notified under Article 63.2 of the 
Agreement (see document IP/N/1/SAU/1).  
 
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce  
 
 
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONSACRÉES À LA 
PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIÉES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
 
ARABIE SAOUDITE 
  Le présent document contient le texte
1 du Règlement relatif à la protection des 
renseignements commerciaux confidentiels, notifié pa r l'Arabie saoudite au titre de l'article 63:2 de 
l'Accord (voir le document IP/N/1/SAU/1).  
 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio  
 
 
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA PROPIEDAD 
INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD DEL PÁRRAFO 2 
DEL ARTÍCULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
 
ARABIA SAUDITA 
  En el presente documento se reproduce el texto
1 del Reglamento para la protección de la 
información comercial confidencial, que Arabia Sa udita ha notificado en virtud del párrafo 2 del 
artículo 63 del Acuerdo (véase el documento IP/N/1/SAU/1). 
                                                      
 1 In English only. The text in the original language is available for consultation by interested 
Delegations at the WTO Secretariat./En anglais seulemen t.  Les délégations intéressées peuvent consulter le 
texte dans sa langue d'origine, au Secrétariat de l'OM C./En inglés solamente.  Las delegaciones interesadas 
podrán consultar en la Secretaría de la OMC el texto en su idioma original. 
 IP/N/1/SAU/U/1 
Page 2  
 
   
 
   
 
  
Regulations for the Protection of 
Confidential Commercial  
Information 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Issued by 
The Minister of Commerce and I ndustry's decision no. (3218) 
dated 25/03/1426H (4 May 2005) 
 
and as amended by 
His Excellency's decision no. (431) dated 01/05/1426H  
(8 June 2005) 
 
as authorized by 
The Council of Ministers Decisi on no. (50) dated 25/02/1426H  
(4 April 2005)  
 
 
 
   
Unofficial Translation  IP/N/1/SAU/U/1 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Article (1): 
 
 Any information shall be deemed a commerc ial secret in any of the cases stated below: 
 
(1) If it is usually not known in its final form, or in  any of its minute constituents or if t is not 
usually easily obtainable by those e ngaged in this type of business. 
(2) If it is of commercial value due to its confidentiality. 
(3) If the rightful owner takes reasonable measur es to maintain its confidentiality under its 
current circumstances. 
Article (2): 
 
(1) The rightful owner shall be any person entitled to disclose, use or retain a commercial 
secret. 
(2) The rightful owner may keep the information in his possession and refrain from 
disclosing it. 
(3) The rightful owner may take the necessary m easures to prevent any person from using 
the commercial secret protected in  accordance with these Regulations. 
Article (3): 
 
(1) Obtaining, using or disclosing any commercial secret in a way that is inconsistent with 
honest commercial practices and without the consent of the rightful owner shall be 
deemed an abuse of the commercial secret. In  all cases, it may not be disclosed in a way 
inconsistent with its reality.  
(2) For the purposes of implementing the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Article, the 
following, in particular, shall be deemed violations of honest commercial practices: 
(a) Breach of contracts relating to commercial secrets. 
(b) Breach of confidentiality of entrusted information or encouraging its breach. 
(c) A person obtaining the commercial secrets from a third party if such a person knows 
or is capable of knowing that the third party has obtained the same as a result of a violation of honest commercial practices. 
(3) Reaching a commercial secret, independently or through reverse engineering, 
shall not be deemed, in particular, a violation of honest commercial practices. 
Article (4):  
 
 The competent authorities shall protect the commercial secrets submitted to them against 
disclosure and protect them against unfair commerc ial use. Said authorities may not disclose them 
unless disclosure is deemed necessary for protecting the public.  IP/N/1/SAU/U/1 
Page 4  
 
  Article (5): 
 
 Where an official competent authority requires the submission of information about secret tests or any data obtained as a result of  subs tantial efforts, as a precondition for approving the 
marketing of drugs or chemical agricultural products  in which new chemical substances are used, the 
said authority shall undertake to protect such in formation against unfair commercial use, for a 
minimum period of five years from the date of obtaining the approval.  
Article (6): 
  The competent registration authority – during the protection term of commercial secrets – 
may permit third parties to use the undisclosed data of secret tests submitted by another applicant in the following cases:  
(1)  If the product first registered in the Kingdom has not been subject of trading within a 
reasonable period of time determined by th e registration authority, after approving its 
marketing. 
(2)  If this is required by a pressing necessity determined by the competent authority to protect 
the public. 
Article (7): 
  These Regulations shall not protect commercial secrets inconsistent with Islamic Shari’ah 
(public order) and public morality.  
Article (8): 
  Any person harmed as a result of violating the provisions of these Regulations may file a 
lawsuit before the competent judicial authority  to claim compensation for damages sustained. 
 
Article (9): 
 
 These Regulations shall be published in the Offi cial Gazette and shall come into force after 
thirty days from the date of its publication. 
 
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