Latest news on intellectual property rights in the Middle East

Egypt

From February 22, 2023, the substantive examination request fee in Egypt will increase from 17,000 Egyptian pounds to 25,000 pounds.

Kuwait

The Kuwait Patent Office KPO recently announced that Kuwait’s online website for annual fee payment is now officially open for operation, and patentees need to pay annual fees through the online website.

Yemen

The Yemen Intellectual Property Office has issued a new regulation requiring that power of attorney (POA) used for patent/trademark applications must be authenticated by the Yemeni Consulate. The power of attorney must be submitted to the Yemen Intellectual Property Office at the same time. Late submissions of Power of Attorney will no longer be accepted.

lebanon

The Lebanese Trademark Office has been temporarily suspended due to an examiner strike. All trademark applications are suspended due to inability to submit online or through windows. However, the branches of the Lebanese Trademark Office across the country are still operating normally. Applicants can submit trademark applications through the Lebanese branch.

Nigeria

Nigeria’s copyright law officially came into effect on March 24, 2023, replacing the country’s original copyright law. Another new regulation, the Business Facilitation Act 2023, also stipulates certain provisions that can affect intellectual property laws:

• Product Trademarks: The specific boundaries of trademarks in the Trademarks Act have been modified by adding a definition of the word "goods" in Section 67 of the Definitions section, stating that the word "trademark" encompasses shape, packaging and its color scheme.
• Section 13A has been added to the First Schedule of the Patents and Designs Act, which regulates the procedures for processing, receiving, using and revoking compulsory licenses.

Mauritius

Mauritius has deposited its instruments of accession to the Madrid Protocol and the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement on February 6, 2023, officially joining the Madrid-Hague System and becoming the 114th member state of the Madrid Protocol and the 78th member of the Hague Agreement. Member States and the 70th Contracting Party to the 1999 Act. The two agreements will come into effect in Mauritius on May 6, 2023.