Is it possible to register a copyright in Israel?
Israel has no official copyright office or copyright registration system. Our office offers a deposit scheme for our clients. We also register copyrights for clients at the U.S. Copyright Office.

 

Back to top

Is Israel a party to international copyright treaties?
Israel is a party to the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention, as well as the TRIPS agreement, and has implemented legislation giving effect to the provisions of these agreements. In addition, it is a party to the Rome Convention (International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations) as well as the 1971 Geneva Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms. Additionally, Israel is a signatory to the WIPO copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, but has yet to ratify them or introduce related the necessary implementing legislation

 

What is the period of copyright protection in Israel?
In general, copyright in Israel subsists until the end of the seventieth year after the death of the author. In joint works, the 70-year post-mortem period runs from the death of the last of the joint authors. Photographs and sound recordings, however, are protected for a period of 50 years only from the date of creation. Pseudonymous works are protected for 70 years from the date of publication.

 

Does Israel follow the copyright tradition or authors' rights tradition?
 
Israel originally adhered to the copyright system, inherited from Britain at the end of  the British Mandate. However, over the years copyright law has moved beyond its British roots, adopting on the one hand elements of American law, such as the fair use doctrine and, to a lesser degree principles of Authors' rights law. Thus, while retaining a predominantly English influence, the new Copyright Act of 2007 draws also from European sources, including the EC Information Society and Software Directives.

 

How long does it take to register a trademark in Israel?
As of May 2009, trademark registrations are taking between nine to 15 months from the date of application, assuming no oppositions are filed. It is possible to apply for an expedited examination if adequate grounds are stated, particularly an actual or threatened infringing use of the mark.
 

Is it possible to file a trademark application online?
Yes, it is possible to file an Israeli trademark application online, but only if the person or attorney filing has an account with the trademark office.
 

Does Israeli law protect unregistered trademarks?
Israeli law protects unregistered trademarks in limited cases under the law of passing off. However, the owner of an unregistered mark must prove existence of goodwill in the mark, which is not easy to prove. Unregistered well-known or famous marks are also protected, but once again there is a high hurdle to overcome to prove the fame of the mark. Furthermore, the unregistered famous mark will only be protected against use of an identical or confusingly similar mark in relation to similar goods or services.