Morocco & Europe agree to step up partnership in patents, intellectual property & trademarks

Moroccan trademark Office (Office de la Propriété Industrielle & Commerciale – OMPIC) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have sealed an agreement on the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC).

The agreement, which was signed lately remotely by EPO Chief António Campinos and Head of OMPI Abdelaziz Babqiqi, opens up a new chapter of cooperation between the two agencies.

The CPC is an extension of the International Patent Classification (IPC) and jointly managed by the EPO and the US Patent and Trademark Office. All stakeholders, and especially users and innovators, benefit from the transparent and harmonized global patent classification system supported by these schemes, which facilitate a more effective search process.

Adopting the CPC system enables OMPIC to enhance the modernization of its processes and tools. EPO support for OMPIC includes coaching and training for OMPIC examiners, the enhancement of patent data exchange, IT capacity building and initiatives to reach out to local innovators.

According to EPO, around 400 granted European patents were validated in Morocco in 2020, a number that is expected to grow in the coming years with the increase of foreign investors and international companies choosing to install in the North African Kingdom.