Egypt Ratifies Amendments to Intellectual Property Law
24-Jul-2019
CAIRO - The Egyptian Parliament has ratified several amendments to the Law of the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights No. 82 of 2002, to make it more compatible with the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 91).
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) has requested Egypt to come up with amendments to the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Law to be qualified as an active member of UPOV.
The amendments stipulate that the Egyptian Plant Varieties Protection Office will be authorized to conduct inspections and research new species, while the right to use the naming of registered species freely will be limited, whether during the exercise or termination of the right of the breeder.
The amendments included articles 192, 192 bis, 193, 194, 195, 198, 201, 202 and 202 bis.
The objective of the UPOV Convention is the protection of new varieties of plants by an Intellectual Property Right. The UPOV aims to encourage the development of new varieties of plants for the benefit of society through codifying Intellectual Property for plant breeders.
It is worth mentioning that the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an independent intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Its mission is to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants for the benefit of society.