Brussels, 07/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - In Munich on Thursday 3 July, an agreement on the validation of European patents was signed between the EU and Tunisia. On a visit to Germany, Tunisian Minister for Industry, Energy and Mines Kamel Ben Naceur signed the agreement with President of the EPO (European Patent Office) Benoît Battistelli.
A press release issued by the Office says that “validated European patent applications and patents will have the same legal effect as Tunisian national applications and patents, and will be subject only to Tunisian patent legislation. The agreement has to be ratified before it can enter into force”.
The move constitutes a “strategic breakthrough” for the patent system in Tunisia, said Battistelli. The agreement will “simplify access to patent protection in Tunisia for European patent applicants and proprietors. Ultimately it will help strengthen innovation in the country and open up new industrial and commercial prospects for foreign investors”, he added.
Under the terms of the agreement signed, the EPO press release explains, “European patent applicants and proprietors will be able to validate the legal effects of European patents and applications on Tunisian territory, even though Tunisia is not an EPO member state”. However, its relationship with the Office goes back over a decade and has “intensified since 2011”, according to an official source. “The chief cooperation activities are the training of examiners” of Tunisia's equivalent authority (INNORPI). (FB)