The new law affects patents, industrial designs, utility models, and trade secrets. The major changes to the current law are as follows:

• Introducing a 12-month grace period to file a patent application after its disclosure;
• The possibility to request an accelerated examination;
• Increased protection period of the industrial design for up to 20 years, and
• Allowing the patentability of purpose-limited product claims.

The Council of Ministers is expected to draft the implementing regulations of this law before the end of 2021. Until then, the implementation of the provisions of current Federal Law shall continue.

For more information, please contact uae@qumsieh.com.

• Any patent applications is subject for a substantive examination;
• The Commercial Courts are only responsible for conflicts related to industrial property rights;
• New stipulated examination fees of MAD6000 must be paid with respect to pending and newly filed patent applications. As for new applications, the examination fees must be paid along with filing fees;
• The abstract, specifications, drawings, and claims in the original language must accompany the application at the time of filing; however if the priority date is very close then a grace period of one (1) month is allowed, while the French translation can be submitted within three (3) months from the application date;
• Submitting priority documents must be made within four (4) months before the expiration of the first priory date;
• The payment of annuity fees is due after grant;
• The law provisions provides protection of integrated circuits, which was not protected earlier, and
• Trademarks were not affected by these regulations.

For more information, please contact us at morocco@qumsieh.com.