30 – March - 2015
Starting on March 1, 2015, European Patents will be accepted to full legal
effect in the Morocco national territory. This is the first non-member state of
the European Patent Organisation to introduce such a measure. Applicants of European
patents will be able at application stage to request validation for Morocco.
These patents will have the same status as national patents and will be subject
to Moroccan law. The EPO has entered into validation
agreements with two further non-member states, Moldova and Tunisia, but this is
the first ever to come into force. The number of countries where patent
protection can be obtained with a single application with EPO is now of 41.