According to Article 3 of the Decree, additional changes have been introduced regarding examination fee payment deadlines – examination fees and any expert fees are to be settled within three months from the notification date. Under the previous rules, this time frame was six months, counted from the patent application filling date.
Expert fees are to be applied only if the EGIPA decides to revert to an expert report, as is sometimes the case during appeal proceedings before the appeal committee.
If the three-month deadline is missed, the patent application will be suspended until the required fees are paid, including additional missed deadline extension fees. An extension of time for fee payment and the related surcharges are now applied for the first time in Egypt.
Additional administrative instructions will be issued shortly to clarify all new measures and define implementation steps related to new deadlines, deadline extensions and suspension penalties.
FICPI’s view and involvement
FICPI uniquely combines education and advocacy on topics around patents and trade marks, with a focus on developing the professional excellence of its individual members. FICPI Forums, Congress, committees and meetings are opportunities to gather insights from the international IP attorney community on any issue, whether it be practice-related or topics of patent and trade mark law.
Next steps
- Connect with FICPI member IP attorneys in Egypt – search the FICPI member directory
- Consider getting involved with the work of FICPI’s Study & Work Committee or its working groups on areas such as international patents.
This article was first published on the CWB website