Tunisia Approves Law Related to European Patent Validation Agreement
25-Feb-2016
TUNIS – The Tunisian Parliament approved the law related to the agreement signed in Munich on July 3, 2014 between EPO President and Tunisian Minister for Industry related the validation of European patents for Tunisia.
The agreement aims to simplify the patent protection in Tunisia for European patent applicants and owners. Under the terms of the agreement, European patent applicants and owners will be able to validate the legal effects of their European patents and applications in Tunisia, even though Tunisia is not an EPO member state.
Validated European patent applications and patents will have the same legal effect as Tunisian national applications and patents or national phase of PCT applications, and will be subject only to Tunisian patent legislations.
Moreover, the agreement will facilitate the procedures as such validation will not require further examination in the country.
It is worth mentioning that Tunisia is working on the implementing regulations of this law to be adopted.