In the context of improving the quality of patents, stimulating innovation and technology transfer, Morocco, like the Republic of Moldova in October 2013, signed an agreement on validation with the European Patent Office (EPO).

Morocco is the first non-member country of the European Patent Organization to validate the legal effects of a European patent on its territory.

On 19 January this year, the President of the European Patent Office (EPO), Benoit Battistelli, and the Moroccan Minister of Industry, Trade, Investment and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy announced that an agreement on the validation of European patents on the territory of Morocco will enter into force on 1 March 2015.

The legal certainty of patents granted by the EPO and validated in Morocco will strengthen the economic benefits of the Moroccan patent system and increase the country’s attractiveness for foreign investment. Also, this will improve the quality of patents and provide better services to users.

Starting on March 1, anyone filing a European patent application will be able to request validation for Morocco against the payment of a fee of EUR 240. Validation will be deemed for Morocco requested for any European or international application filed with the EPO on or after 1 March 2015. Validation of European patents is not available for applications filed prior to that date, or for any European patents resulting from such applications.

For more details visit http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/official-journal/information-epo/archive/20150121.html

http://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2015/20150119.html