Egypt:

 

As of February 22, 2023, the official fees for carrying out patent examination have increased from EGP 17,000 to EGP 25,000. The decision came about under the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research decision regulating the official fees payable for patent examination.

 

Kuwait:

 

The Kuwait Patent Office (KPO) has announced that the online portal is now operational for the payment of patent annuities. In this respect, patents owners are required to pay their annuities, including upcoming ones online. Failure to pay annuities within the statutory term or grace period will lead to the lapse of patent applications and patents.

 

Yemen:

 

The General Administration for the Protection of Intellectual Property in Sana’a-Yemen has issued an internal circular concerning local legalization requirements of the powers of attorney (POA) related to all IP matters.  The circular stipulates that powers of attorney legalized up to the Yemeni consulates abroad must be locally attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sanaa and submitted to the trademarks office at the time of filing any IP related application. Late submission of the POA is no longer acceptable.

 

Lebanon:

 

The Lebanese trademarks office has been closed since last year due to the strike organized by its officers. All IP work are currently suspended as no trademark application, either directly or online, can be filed. However, our branch office in Lebanon is still fully operational to ensure timely actions once the trademarks office resumes its work.

 

Nigeria

 

The Copyright Act 2023, which was brought into law in Nigeria on March 24, 2023, considerably updates the country’s previous copyright regulations. An additional piece of legislation, the Business Facilitation Act (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, is also pertinent to intellectual property.

 

The following are its impacts on current IP law:

 

Trademarks for products: by adding a definition of the word “goods” to Section 67 of the definitions section, it changes the Trademarks Act. Additionally, it modifies the Trademarks Act by stating that the term “trademark” encompasses the shape of items, packaging, and a color scheme.

 

Patents and designs: it adds a new section 13A to the First Schedule of the Patents and Designs Act, which regulates compulsory licenses. The new section mandates that the Minister establish regulations outlining the process for applying for, receiving, using, and rescinding such licenses.

 

Mauritius

 

Madrid & Hague System:

 

Mauritius has formally ratified the Madrid & Hague System by depositing its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol and the 1999 Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement on February 6, 2023 respectively, albeit it will not take effect until May 6, 2023. By doing this, Mauritius joined the Madrid System for the international registration of trademarks and became its 114th member and the 78th member of the Hague Union and the 70th contracting party to the 1999 Act.

 

For more information, please contact JAH intellectual Property office at info@jahcoip.com