For European and International (PCT) patent applications filed on or after 1 March 2015 the option to validate in Morocco will be available, thus obtaining protection in that territory.
A validation fee of 240€ must be paid to the EPO within 6 months of the European Patent Bulletin mentioning the publication of the European search report or, where applicable, within the time period intended for accomplishing the acts required for the filing of an International application in the European phase.
The legal effects for patent applications and validated European patents in Morocco will be defined by Moroccan patent law and will be identical to the legal effects of national Moroccan patents and patent applications.
This new route reinforces the interest of European patents and allows for the broadening of the geographic scope of protection at a reasonable cost.
REGIMBEAU is at your disposal to provide any additional information useful to the implementation of this new option for protection.
For information, similar validation agreements have been signed by the EPO with Moldavia and Tunisia and should lead to new validation opportunities in both countries in the coming months.
