UAE Removal of Registration Certificate Requirement for Post Registration Procedures
The UAE Ministry of Economy has simplified trademark post-registration procedures by removing the requirement to submit a copy of the trademark registration certificate or the latest renewal certificate for several actions. While this is a practical filing system update rather than a formal legislative amendment, it significantly reduces administrative formalities for rights holders.
The change applies to trademark renewals, assignments, licenses, recordals of name or address changes, and mergers, making the process faster and more efficient.
Egypt: Revision of official fees for Intellectual Property Services
The Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority has revised the official fees for trademark, industrial design, and geographical indication services.
A unified additional service fee of EGP 500 (approximately USD 10) now applies to every transaction processed through the General Administration. In addition, a specialized company search fee of EGP 2,000 (approximately 37.89 USD) has also been introduced, along with new charges for official copies of earlier expert reports.
Algeria: Key Changes to Patent Practice Concerning PCT Amendments
The Algerian National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) is now strictly enforcing existing PCT rules for national phase patent applications.
Any voluntary amendments to the description, claims, or drawings must be filed within one month of national phase entry. After that, only clerical or material error corrections are allowed, subject to proof and payment of a rectification fee.
This marks a clear shift from INAPI’s previous practice, where amendments were often accepted during examination. Importantly, the stricter approach is also being applied retroactively to applications already under examination.