Patent registration in Egypt – Any company that owns a patent and plans to expand its business in the Egyptian market or create lasting value and find investors for their patent or grant their patent licensing in the future should use the Egyptian patent system. It is paramount for businesses to file a patent application in Egypt for inventions, even if the launch of the respective product on the Egyptian market has not yet commenced.
Deadline for filing a patent application in Egypt
Patent applications requesting ordinary priority must be filed within 12 months of the priority date. This period may be extended by 2 months provided that the failure to submit the application on time was unintentional.
Patent application in Egypt
The official language of Egyptian patent applications is Arabic. If the patent application is filed in a language other than Arabic, the Arabic translation must be filed with the Patent Office within 6 months of the filing date.
The following information and documents need to be provided in the patent application to the Egyptian Patent Office:
- the name and address of the patent applicant and the patent agent;
- patent claims;
- Invention description, drawings;
- proof of payment of the respective fees.
If priority is requested, a certified copy of the priority document together with its Arabic translation must be submitted within 3 months of application.
Power of attorney needs to be legalized at the Egyptian Consulate. This document can be submitted at the same time or after 4 months from the date of application.
If the applicant is not the inventor, the Deed of Assignment legalized at the Egyptian Consulate must be filed at the time of application submission or within 4 months from the date of application.
Examination of patent applications in Egypt
Patent applications in Egypt must go through a formal and substantive examination. The official fee for conducting the due diligence process must be paid within 6 months of the application being submitted.
The novelty of the invention will not be denied, if the information about the invention is disclosed in a national exhibition held in Egypt or an international exhibition within 6 months prior to the filing date.
Patent validity and renewal
Patents in Egypt are valid for twenty years from the date of filing. Annual maintenance fees apply to both pending applications and granted patents. The annual maintenance fee is due from the 2nd year during which the application is pending. One year late payment is possible by paying a corresponding surcharge.
The time frame of the patent application procedure
The average patent application processing time in Egypt is 3 years.
Represented by a patent attorney
An international applicant for a patent in Egypt should do a patent search in Egypt through a law firm, an experienced patent attorney.
You can find the list of Egypt IP firms here.