Brussels, 21/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Morocco and the European Patent office (EPO) have just signed a partnership agreement on the validation of European patents in Morocco. This agreement, the first of its kind with a country in the Mediterranean region, will come into force once the necessary implementing legislation has been passed by the Moroccan parliament. It will mean that applications and patents validated in Morocco will have the same legal effects as those in the EPO member states also designated by the applicant. European patents are currently valid in up to 40 European countries. In addition, the EPO and the Moroccan Office for Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) have signed a bilateral co-operation accord and a technical agreement giving OMPIC access to the EPOQUE Net service so that it can use the EPO's scientific and technical documentation. This will enable OMPIC to draw up systematically a search report on Moroccan patent applications, plus an opinion on their patentability - essential information for Moroccan business. (F.B./transl.rt)