How to Use the UAE Trade Mark Platform (TM Marketplace): a 2026 Practical Guide for Brand Owners and Rights Holders

The UAE Trade Mark Platform, officially branded the TM Market Place, represents the most significant operational change to brand protection UAE rights holders have seen in years, giving trademark owners a centralised digital environment to list, trade, license and enforce their marks. Launched by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) and accessible at uaetm. ae, the platform sits at the intersection of trademark commercialisation and anti-counterfeit UAE enforcement. This guide provides the step-by-step procedural workflows, evidence checklists, customs recordation instructions and marketplace takedown templates that in-house counsel, IP managers and brand owners need to put the TM Marketplace to practical use in 2026.

Where official timelines have not been published, the ranges cited below reflect observed practitioner experience and credible press reporting.

What the UAE Trade Mark Platform (TM Marketplace) Is and Who Should Use It

The TM Marketplace is the UAE’s first government-backed digital platform dedicated to trademark transactions and enforcement. According to the MoET announcement, it allows rights holders to list registered trademarks for sale, licensing or franchising while also providing enforcement tools to flag and act against infringing uses.

At a glance:

• Purpose. Centralise trademark commercialisation (buying, selling, licensing) and enforcement (complaint filing, evidence submission) in a single portal.
• Who can register. Any holder of a valid UAE trademark registration, including foreign owners with marks registered or extended into the UAE, as well as authorised agents acting under a notarised power of attorney.
• Core actions available. List a mark for trade or licence; browse and negotiate mark acquisitions; submit infringement complaints with supporting evidence; track enforcement case status.
• Relationship to customs and courts. The TM Marketplace does not replace customs recordation or court litigation, but it creates a complementary administrative channel for trademark enforcement UAE rights holders can use alongside those routes.

At a Glance: Key Decisions for Rights Holders

Before beginning any enforcement action, rights holders should determine which route, or combination of routes, fits their situation. The decision matrix below provides a starting framework.

Industry observers expect most rights holders will use the TM Marketplace in tandem with at least one other route, for example, filing a TM Marketplace complaint while simultaneously requesting customs recordation UAE authorities accept to intercept physical shipments.

Step 1: Check and Prepare Your Mark Before You Act

Trademark status check

Before listing or enforcing on the UAE Trade Mark Platform, confirm that your mark is validly registered, in force and not subject to cancellation proceedings. Use the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) trademark search portal or the global TMview database to verify registration details, class coverage and renewal status. Any gap in registration validity will undermine an enforcement complaint.

Ownership and chain of title

Ensure that the entity filing on the TM Marketplace is the recorded owner, or holds a duly notarised and legalised power of attorney from the recorded owner. Where a mark has been assigned, confirm that the assignment has been recorded with the UAE Ministry of Economy’s trademark registry. Unrecorded assignments create standing issues that can delay or defeat enforcement.

Classes and Nice 13 considerations

The UAE now applies the 13th edition of the Nice Classification (Nice 13 UAE), which introduces updated class headings and reclassified certain goods and services. Rights holders should verify that their existing registrations accurately reflect the goods or services they intend to protect under the current edition. Where reclassification has shifted a product into a different class, a supplementary application may be required. WIPO’s online Nice Classification tool provides the authoritative reference.

Pre-action checklist

• Registration certificate. Obtain a certified copy, in Arabic, of the UAE trademark registration certificate.
• Renewal confirmation. Verify the mark is renewed and in force through the relevant period.
• Power of attorney. If using an agent, prepare a notarised and legalised PoA specifying authority to act on the TM Marketplace.
• Evidence of use. Compile invoices, marketing materials and product photographs demonstrating genuine use of the mark in the UAE.
• Infringement evidence (if enforcing). Gather screenshots, purchase receipts, product samples and seller details for the infringing activity.

Step 2: Register and List on the TM Marketplace, Exact Procedural Workflow

Account and access requirements

Access to the TM Marketplace requires registration on the UAETM platform at uaetm.ae. Users must create an account using a valid Emirates ID (for UAE residents) or passport and corporate documentation (for foreign entities). An authorised representative may register on behalf of the rights holder provided the power of attorney is uploaded during account creation.

Required documents

The platform requires the following uploads before a listing or enforcement filing can proceed:

Step-by-step listing workflow

1. Create your account at uaetm.ae and complete the identity verification process.
2. Select your action type, choose whether you are listing a mark for commercialisation (sale, licence, franchise) or filing an enforcement complaint.
3. Upload core documents, registration certificate, PoA (if applicable), corporate documents and mark samples as detailed in the table above.
4. Complete the listing fields, enter the mark name, registration number, Nice classes covered, territorial scope and a description of the goods or services.
5. Set enforcement preferences, if filing for enforcement, specify the nature of the infringement (counterfeiting, unauthorised use, parallel imports), upload evidence and identify the suspected infringer where possible.
6. Review and submit, the platform generates a reference number. Retain this for tracking.
7. Monitor status, log in regularly to check case progress, respond to platform queries and upload supplementary evidence if requested.

Early indications suggest that the platform’s processing times for listing approvals range from several business days for straightforward commercial listings to longer periods where enforcement complaints require MoET review.

Step 3: Customs Recordation in the UAE, How, Documents, Timeline

When to record with customs

Customs recordation UAE is essential for any rights holder that wants UAE customs authorities to intercept suspected counterfeit goods at ports, airports and free zone entry points. Recordation puts your mark on the customs watch list, enabling officers to detain shipments ex officio or upon the rights holder’s application. This is a separate process from the TM Marketplace listing, though the two are complementary, a recorded mark supported by a TM Marketplace enforcement filing strengthens the overall anti-counterfeit UAE strategy.

Documents and notarisation/legalisation requirements

Step-by-step customs recordation submission

1. Prepare and authenticate all documents, notarise, legalise (or apostille for Hague Convention countries) and translate into Arabic.
2. Submit the application via the Ministry of Economy e-services portal or directly to the relevant customs authority (Dubai Customs, Abu Dhabi Customs, etc.).
3. Pay applicable fees, fees vary by emirate and are typically modest relative to enforcement costs.
4. Respond to queries, customs may request additional information, particularly regarding identification guides and authorised distributor lists.
5. Receive confirmation, once the mark is recorded, it remains on the watch list for the duration of the registration (subject to renewal).

Practical tips to speed processing

• Submit a detailed identification guide. The more specific the visual comparison between genuine and counterfeit products, the faster customs officers can act.
• Name a local contact person. Customs authorities may need to reach a representative quickly when a suspected shipment is detained, provide a UAE-based mobile number.
• Update the authorised importer list regularly. Outdated lists lead to false seizures of legitimate parallel shipments, which erodes credibility with customs.

Typical trademark recordation UAE processing times range from one to six weeks, depending on the completeness of the application and the specific customs authority involved.

Step 4: Marketplace Takedowns, Amazon, Noon and Regional Platforms

Evidence checklist by platform

An online marketplace takedown UAE action requires a tailored evidence pack. While the core elements are consistent across platforms, each marketplace has specific metadata requirements.

Sample takedown notice

The following template can be adapted for use on any e-commerce platform. Rights holders should tailor the language to the specific platform’s requirements and submit through the platform’s official IP complaint channel.

To: [Platform IP Complaint Team]

Re: Trademark infringement, request for removal of listing(s)

I, [Name], am the [owner / authorised representative] of UAE Trademark Registration No. [Number], covering [goods/services description] in Class(es) [X]. The following listing(s) on your platform infringe the registered mark by offering [counterfeit / unauthorised] goods bearing the mark without the rights holder’s consent:

• Listing URL: [URL]
• Seller name: [Name]
• Product identifier (ASIN / SKU): [Identifier]

Attached: trademark registration certificate, screenshots, test purchase evidence. I request immediate removal of the infringing listing(s) and suspension of the seller’s ability to re-list infringing products. I confirm under penalty of perjury that the information provided is accurate and that I am authorised to act on behalf of the rights holder.

[Signature, date, contact details]

Using the TM Marketplace alongside platform takedowns

The UAE Trade Mark Platform can complement direct marketplace takedowns. By filing a parallel enforcement complaint on the TM Marketplace, rights holders create an official government-channel record of the infringement. This can be useful if a platform requires evidence of administrative or governmental action before escalating a takedown. The likely practical effect is that rights holders who use both channels simultaneously will see faster resolution, particularly where a platform is slow to respond to direct complaints alone.

How to escalate if a platform refuses

1. Re-submit with enhanced evidence, add test purchase results, side-by-side product comparison photographs and an expert authentication report.
2. Invoke the TM Marketplace complaint, reference the official MoET case number in your platform escalation.
3. Engage local counsel, a cease-and-desist letter from UAE-qualified counsel, citing the Federal trademark law, often prompts a more responsive review.
4. Consider customs recordation, if the seller is importing physical goods, a customs hold can disrupt supply and pressure the platform to act.
5. Pursue litigation, as a last resort, initiate court proceedings for injunctive relief and damages.

Step 5: Trademark Enforcement UAE, Outcomes, Timelines and Escalation Matrix

Typical administrative outcomes

• TM Marketplace. Administrative delisting of infringing offers; suspension of non-compliant users; referral to Ministry enforcement divisions for persistent offenders.
• Customs. Detention and potential seizure of counterfeit shipments; destruction of goods (with rights holder’s co-operation and, in some cases, court order).
• Marketplace platforms. Removal of infringing listings; seller warnings or account suspension; in serious cases, permanent seller ban.

Enforcement route comparison

When to litigate versus administrative enforcement

Administrative routes through the UAE Trade Mark Platform and marketplace takedowns are generally preferable for high-volume, lower-value infringements, counterfeit listings, grey-market imports and unauthorised use of logos. Litigation becomes the appropriate channel where the rights holder seeks monetary damages, needs a court injunction to restrain an ongoing business operation, or faces a respondent who contests the mark’s validity. Industry observers expect the TM Marketplace to reduce the volume of straightforward cases that previously required court filings, freeing judicial resources for genuinely contested disputes.

Appendix: Templates and Evidence Checklists

The following resources are designed to accompany the procedural steps above. Rights holders are encouraged to adapt them to their specific facts and seek local counsel review before submission.

• Customs recordation document checklist. A downloadable checklist covering every document, format requirement and authentication step needed to file a customs recordation application in the UAE.
• Marketplace takedown notice template. A generic and platform-specific (Amazon / Noon) takedown notice template, ready to customise with case-specific details.
• Evidence index spreadsheet. A structured spreadsheet template for cataloguing infringement evidence, screenshots, purchase receipts, seller data and authentication reports, organised by date and platform.
• TM Marketplace listing preparation checklist. A step-by-step preparation guide for assembling all required uploads before beginning the UAETM listing or complaint process.

To request editable versions of these templates, contact a UAE IP lawyer through our directory.

Conclusion

The UAE Trade Mark Platform gives rights holders a powerful new tool in their brand protection UAE arsenal, but only if used as part of a coordinated enforcement strategy that includes customs recordation, marketplace takedowns and, where necessary, litigation. The procedural workflows, document checklists and sample notices set out in this guide are designed to equip in-house counsel and IP managers with the operational detail needed to act decisively. As the TM Marketplace matures and its integration with other enforcement channels deepens, early adopters who establish robust evidence packs and recording practices now will be best positioned to protect their marks across the UAE market.

For tailored guidance on the UAE Trade Mark Platform and related enforcement routes, consult a qualified UAE intellectual property practitioner.

Sources

1. UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism, TM Market Place Announcement
2. UAETM (TM Market Place), Official Platform
3. Ministry e-Services, Trademark Services
4. Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), Trademark Search
5. Gulf News, UAE Launches First Digital Platform for Buying and Selling Trademarks
6. Motei & Associates, TM Market Place Explainer
7. Jitendra Intellectual Property, UAE TM Marketplace Commentary
8. WIPO, Nice Classification