IP PRO
Author: Tammy Facey
European patents can now be validated in Morocco following an agreement between the president of the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Moroccan minister of industry, trade, investment and the digital economy.
Benoît Battistelli and Moulay Hafid Elalamy have agreed that Morocco will validate patents as of 1 March for a fee.
European applications and patents validated for Morocco will have the same legal effect as Moroccan ones and be subject to Moroccan patent law.
“This is a historic step for the European patent system, and it brings to 41 the number of countries for which patent protection can be obtained simultaneously with a single European patent application,” said Battistelli.
The agreement with Morocco will strengthen the economic benefits of the Moroccan patent system and make it more attractive to foreign investors, claimed Battistelli.
Morocco is the first country for which a validation agreement with the EPO has come into force.
