Following a recent decision by the Bahraini Patent Office to begin substantively examining patent applications, the long-awaited Implementing Regulations of Law No. 1 of 2004 concerning patents and utility models were published on 13th December 2018.  It is hoped that these Regulations will provide a clearer prosecution procedure for patent applications in Bahrain.     In addition, the Patent Office updated the official fees for patent applications, and introduced substantive...

The revised IP Law of OAPI known as the Bangui Accord has recently been made available to the public for the first time. However, it has yet to enter into force, as it requires ratification by 12 member states before it can be promulgated, and so far, only 7 member states have done so. The changes introduced by the new law include the following:- Trade Marks The definition of a trade mark will be broadened to include sounds. Substantive examination on absolute grounds will be conducted for...

As the date on which the UK plans to leave the EU – 29th March 2019 – draws ever nearer, we are advising trade mark and design owners to take proactive steps now to reduce their costs in the event of a “no deal” scenario, by filing any proposed EU trade mark or registered design applications as soon as possible.   Recent notification from the UK Government confirms that an equivalent UK right will be granted free of charge to any EU TM or design registered before this date, regardless of...