We have just learnt that a new Patents Act and new Regulations have been passed in Antigua. The new Act (“The Patents Bill 2018”) was enacted on 8th November 2018 and came into force on 22nd November 2018. This new legislation finally paves the way for the processing of patent matters which, until now, have been held in abeyance in Antigua pending the introduction of the relevant regulations regarding examination, publication and grant of patents and the collection of patent annuities.  ...

As you may be aware, historically, it was possible under the old Samoan Patents Act 1972 to obtain a patent in Samoa based on a granted EP(UK) patent. Under that Act, no maintenance or renewal fees for re-registrations were payable.  However, a new Intellectual Property Act was passed in Samoa in 2011, which abolished the patent re-registration system.   In 2017, when the official fees payable under the new Act were first set, the Samoan Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and...

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...