On August 13, 2023, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt issued Law No. 163 of 2023, (the "Law"), establishing the Egyptian Authority for Intellectual Property (the "EAIP"), which is designed to develop the intellectual property system in such a way which ensures the achievement of Egypt's sustainable development goals. The EAIP aims to regulate and protect Intellectual Property Rights ("IPRs") in Egypt, in accordance with the state's international obligations.
The EAIP shall replace the Ministries concerned with higher education and scientific research, supply and internal trade, culture, telecommunications and information technology, agriculture and land reclamation, trade and industry, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, the Internal Trade Development Authority, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, the Patent Office, and the Plant Variety Protection Office, with regard to the specializations prescribed for each in the laws regulating IPRs and their Executive Regulations, specifically Law on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights No. 82 of 2002. Pursuant to the issuance of this Law, employees will be transferred to the EAIP from offices and departments specializing in intellectual property administration affiliated with the aforementioned ministries and agencies.
The EAIP shall carry out its mandated competencies in accordance with the provisions of the Law within a maximum period of one (1) year from the date of the Law's entry into force. This period may be extended once for six months by virtue of a Prime Ministerial Decree.
The EAIP's functions to achieve its objective of regulating and protecting IPRs include, inter alia: (i) preparing and updating the national strategy for intellectual property; (ii) registering, filing and issuing documents for the protection of IPRs; (iii) preparing integrated databases on IPRs to develop the intellectual property system and ensure its availability to all; (iv) encouraging researchers, investors, start-ups and owners of SMEs to register their inventions, creations and other IPRs to obtain protection and gain the maximum benefit; (v) developing policies for evaluating and exploiting state-owned intellectual property assets and training and educating the private sector in exploiting intellectual property assets to benefit economically from them; (vi) creating registers for the registration of patent and trademark owners; (vii) raising awareness of the importance of intellectual property; (viii) cooperating with international and regional organizations responsible for the protection of IPRs; and (ix) contributing opinions on draft laws related to the protection of IPRs.
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