Western Sahara is located in northwest Africa, in the western part of the Sahara Desert, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent to Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. The area is a disputed region, and Morocco claims sovereignty over it. The official languages are Arabic and Spanish.
In addition, the local independent armed group, the Polisario Front, controls about a quarter of the barren area to the east of the region, with the rest mostly occupied by Morocco. At present, a total of 47 countries recognize the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" led by the armed regime as an independent Arab country.
On December 18, 2004, with the implementation of unified intellectual property laws, registration at the Dalbeida Trademark Office in Morocco will take effect throughout the country; The Tangier Trademark Office has closed and transferred data to the Dalbeida Trademark Office. According to the new legal regulations, a trademark is valid for 10 years after registration and can be renewed for another 10 years; However, trademarks that have obtained a 20-year protection period under the old law will remain valid, and their validity period will be renewed for 10 years after the expiration. For more information, please refer to the introduction of trademark registration in Morocco.
Due to Morocco's sovereignty over most of Western Sahara and the absence of a trademark protection system in the barren areas occupied by independent armed forces, Western Sahara can be registered for protection through Morocco without the need to apply for separate protection in that region.