The Government of Malawi deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol with WIPO’s Director General on 25th September 2018.  The Madrid System now covers 118 member states.    The Protocol will enter into force in Malawi on 25th December 2018.

As previously reported, Patent Law No. 30 of 2006 came into force in Qatar on 7th August 2006, but  this law would only become effective once the implementing regulations had been issued there.  On 5th July 2018, the long-awaited regulations finally entered into force.  These regulations will provide clarification to the patent procurement process in Qatar.     Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further information or...

Further to our recent article about the new IP Act in Namibia, we have now sought clarification from the Registrar concerning the term of patents.   Previously, we had been led to believe that patents granted under the new law would have a term of 14 years, as was the case under the old law, but that renewal fees will now be payable annually, on each anniversary of the filing date. However, following discussions with the Registrar, it has now been clarified as follows:   - Patents...