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CITMA Conference – London, March 2023
At the recently held Spring Conference of CITMA (Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys) held in London, Lysaght was represented by Tim Noel. Tim was delighted to see many of our clients at the event, and was able to hold several in-person meetings and conversations with some of them.
Mauritius – Accession to Hague Convention & Madrid System
Mauritius has joined the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, becoming the 95th member state. The Hague System will enter into force in Mauritius on 6th May 2023.
Bangladesh - Closure of "mail box" route and rejection of mail box patent applications
Bangladesh was granted leave to delay examining applications relating to pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products until 2033. To date, such patent applications have therefore been filed as "black box" or "mailbox" applications and then held in abeyance pending the commencement of this examination.
Montenegro accedes to EPC
Montenegro will soon become the 39th member state of the European Patent Organisation, by virtue of its accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC). Its accession will take effect on 1st October 2022, and from that date, Montengro will be a full Member State of the EPC and not merely an Extension State.
ARIPO - Accession by Cape Verde
On 14th July 2022, the Republic of Cabo Verde (commonly known as Cape Verde) deposited instruments of accession to the Lusaka Agreement, Banjul and Harare Protocols of ARIPO. Consequently, Cape Verde has become the 22nd contracting state to the ARIPO Agreement.
CHILE – Amendments to Industrial Property Act and Accession to Madrid Protocol
A new IP law, No. 21.355, entered into force on 9th May 2022, in which various articles of the current IP Law No. 19.039 dated 1991 and its subsequent iterations were amended. This blog details the most significant changes introduced for trademarks, patents and industrial designs.
Kenya - Deadline set for recording IP rights with the Kenyan Anti-Counterfeiting Authority
Following the recent commencement of a recordation process for IP rights with the Kenyan Anti-Counterfeiting Authority (ACA), a deadline of 01 July 2022 has now been set for rights holders to have completed this process. Please review our article for further information.
IRAQ - Accession to PCT
The Government of the Republic of Iraq deposited its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) on 31st January 2022.
Jamaica – Implementation of new Patents and Designs Act
The Government of Jamaica has announced that its new “Patents and Designs Act, 2020” is expected to come into force on 11 February 2022. Read our complete article for essential information about this new legislation.
ARIPO - Amendments made to Harare Protocol and Regulations
Various amendments have recently been made to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Designs and the Implementing Regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2022. Our article has all the information you need.
OAPI - New Law on Trade Marks, Designs, Utility Models and Geographical Indications
It has just been announced that the new OAPI IP Laws concerning Trade Marks, Designs, Utility Models, and Geographical Indications, will enter into force on 1 January 2022. Please review our article for further information.
Kiribati - Accession to Paris Convention
Kiribati deposited its instrument of accession to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property on 5 November 2021. Please review our article for further information.
Lysaght goes green
Following COP26, there is a revived momentum and moral obligation to do more to help our planet, both individually and collectively. Here at Lysaght, it is no different, and we want to do our part. Our Jersey office went paperless earlier this year, and we are currently auditing our energy usage in the workplace.
Seychelles accedes to ARIPO's Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs
The Republic of Seychelles has acceded to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs, becoming the 21st ARIPO Member State. Please read our article for further information.
Fiji – Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Bills become Acts of Parliament
Fiji has passed into law the Trade Marks Act 2021, the Patents Act 2021, and the Designs Act 2021. Please review our article for further information.
Nauru – New Trade Marks Act in Force
The Nauru Trade Marks Act came into force in November 2020. However, due to an initial lack of official forms, or a procedure for payment of official fees, it has not been possible to file trade mark applications until now.
Eurasia – Unitary design system expected to commence in June 2021
It is anticipated that the Eurasian Patent Office will start accepting design applications from 1 June 2021, following a recent announcement. Please read our article for further information.
PTMG Spring Conference 2021
One of our Chartered Trade Mark Attorneys, Richard Stilwell, attended PTMG’s Spring Conference last week on behalf of Lysaght. Aptly named “PTMG@home”, this conference was hosted online due to current restrictions on gatherings and international travel.
Somalia - Trade Mark Office now accepting, examining and publishing trade mark applications
At the beginning of 2020 we reported that the Somali Ministry of Commerce and Industry had once again started accepting trade mark applications for the first time since the civil war in 1991. We understand that these applications are now to be cleared via a pre-filing search, examined on absolute grounds and published for opposition purposes prior to grant. It is no longer recommended, or necessary, to publish cautionary notices. Please review our article, for further information.
UK’s membership of various international treaties extended to cover Gibraltar
With effect from 1st January 2021, the UK’s membership of various WIPO-administered treaties, including the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention and the PCT, was extended to include the territory of Gibraltar.