ROSEAU - Contrary to previous advice, the final deadline by which UK and/or European granted patents can be registered in Dominica will expire on August 25, 2009, and not in February 1, 2009.  

UK-based Lysaght & Co. received a copy of the new Patents Act and Regulations and noticed upon studying this law that a transitional period of one year from the date of entry into force of the new law is provided for this purpose. 

As the new law came into force on August 25, 2008, Lysaght & Co immediately queried as to why they had been advised that the final date for filing preregistration applications would expire on February 1, 2009.  In response, they have just been notified that this date was indeed wrongly reported, and that such applications can be validly filed before August 25, 2009.