This came during the opening of a symposium to introduce intellectual property (IP) rights and their importance in protecting the national industry and their role in developing and increasing its exports.

During the meeting, Mr Qumsieh welcomed the Board members of the Chamber and the attendees, then introduced JAPIP and its goals and then provided a detailed explanation about the different elements of IP and how it can affect the economy and businesses.

He pointed out that the national industrial sector suffers from the presence of some low-quality counterfeit products in the local markets, which are marketed as the original. This negatively affects the domestic industry, posing serious risks to the health and safety of consumers, as most of these counterfeit goods are concentrated in the pharmaceutical, food, and chemical industries.

Additionally, Mr Qumsieh said, “The wealth of peoples is measured by the value of their inventions, innovations, and scientific production, and not by the country’s wealth buried in the ground”.

At the end of the meeting, an extensive discussion took place with the attendees, during which Mr Qumsieh answered questions from the audience about IP and the mechanisms for protecting their trademarks.

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

An exporter should provide the following documents before its products can pass the customs and borders:

1. Trademark registration certificate(s) of the subject good(s) under the name of the original producing entity
2. Commercial register of the manufacturer and its commercial license, and
3. Tax identification document of the manufacturer

The above is required in order to grant the entry of goods into the Egyptian market.

Should you have any questions, please contact egypt@qumsieh.com.

This was done due to the following changes:

1. The Pakistan Government has made significant efforts to implement key provisions of the IPO of Pakistan according to the Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2012;
2. It has established and appointed IP Tribunals in different regions in Pakistan including Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore;
3. It has established a timeline for the amendment of major IPR laws;
4. It took immediate measures to implement the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) IP Enforcement Rules;
5. It has established public awareness programs on IPR protection, and
6. The Pakistan Government has committed to continue regular action-oriented engagement with the United States and stakeholders.

This development came with great satisfaction to the Government of Pakistan and to the entire Pakistan business community. Exporters now will be able to benefit from the Generalized Scheme of Preferences meaning that in most cases a 0% customs duty will be owned.

Due to this implementation, it is expected that the confidence of the International Business world will also increase and new foreign investments will flow in to Pakistan, along with the overall approval of the international business community generating growth of export of Pakistan products in several other markets.

The risk of the countries remaining on the USTR priority list is that of being degraded to a Priority Foreign Country with the consequence of not being able to avail GSP concession for their exports to the US.

Should you have any questions, please contact info@qumsieh.com.

Should you or any of your colleagues wish to meet with us to learn more about our services or discuss IP related matters in the Middle East, please contact Michalis Christodoulou at m.christodoulou@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.

According to the new Decree, the Nice classification (version 9) will be implemented. However, the official fees are yet to be determined.

Further, Mrs. Ouloula Ismael Abdo has been nominated as head of the newly established Djiboutian Intellectual Property Office (ODPIC).

However, it is expected that the ODPIC needs another three months to commence operations and receive applications.

Regarding the old registrations, the ODPIC will decide shortly how to deal with them.

Our further news in the matter will be circulated in due time.

For more information please contact us at djibouti@qumsieh.com.

Since there are no IP Laws in the new state, the Sudanese Laws will be applicable until the issuance of their own law. Furthermore, any registrations at the Sudan office will be valid at the new state and enforceable as well till further notice.

If you have questions or need further clarification please contact sudan@qumsieh.com.

During a special meeting, the Board approved a plan to dramatically increase the number of Internet domain name endings — called generic top-level domains (gTLDs) — from the current 22, which includes such familiar domains as .com, .org and .net.

“ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind.” said Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN.

New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways.

“Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

The decision to proceed with the gTLD program follows many years of discussion, debate and deliberation with the Internet community, business groups and governments. The Applicant Guidebook, a rulebook explaining how to apply for a new gTLD, went through seven significant revisions to incorporate more than 1,000 comments from the public. Strong efforts were made to address the concerns of all interested parties, and to ensure that the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet are not compromised.

ICANN will soon begin a global campaign to tell the world about this dramatic change in Internet names and to raise awareness of the opportunities afforded by new gTLDs. Applications for new gTLDs will be accepted from 12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012.

The WIPO Conference on Innovation and Climate Change, which brings together major stakeholders – international organizations, government, industry, and civil society – will focus on innovation partnerships between the public and private sector to develop and diffuse relevant technologies. WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba, Ambassador, Special Representative for Climate Change, Mexico, will open the Conference.

Research and development (R&D) partnerships, coupled with an enabling policy environment, are critical to the process of innovation. The Conference will address how the principal factors stimulating innovation can be integrated into coherent strategies that span across R&D, national production capabilities, access to markets, effective regulations, and sound intellectual property management.

The intellectual property system is one of the principal policy tools providing incentives for innovation, for investment in research and development, and in structuring collaborations, joint ventures, and licenses aimed at transferring technological solutions. The Conference will explore options that accelerate technology transfer and diffusion, and the contribution intellectual property makes in stimulating innovation supporting innovation and the transfer, adaptation, dissemination and adoption of environmentally sound technologies. A panel discussion will explore WIPO’s work in that regard.

The Conference will cover a range of issues relating to innovation and partnership models, provide concrete examples of technology transfer relating to climate change, and address questions relating to the financing of technology diffusion. The conference is divided into four plenary sessions and three simultaneous break-out sessions.

The Conference will open 11 July 2011, at 9:30 am at the International Conference Center Geneva (CICG) Room 1. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Registration is required for this event which is open to general public.