news archive
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Revisions to Directive on the legal protection of EU Designs
Following the entry into force of a new Directive and an Amending Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on 8 December 2024, changes to the law providing for the protection of designs in the European Union (EU) will be introduced in phases on 1 May 2025 and on 1 July 2026. The changes which will be introduced aim to make it easier and cheaper to register designs at the EU level and to harmonise procedures between the European and national systems.
We discuss the most important changes which will come into force in the first phase on 1 May 2025.
Lysaght Strengthens Leadership Team with Three New Directors
Lysaght, a leading intellectual property law firm with a history spanning nearly 80 years, has announced the promotion of three senior team members - Richard Stilwell, Tim Noel, and Caroline Johnstone - to Director positions, effective 1st April 2025.
Bermuda: Continued delays to enforcement of new Trade Mark Act
We previously reported that the enforcement date for the new Trade Mark Act had been delayed until 01 April 2025.
We have now received notification from the Intellectual Property Office that the enforcement date of this new law has been further delayed until May or beyond.
At this time, we cannot confirm with any certainty when the new law will be enforced. Until the new law comes into force, the old legislation is still in effect.
We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates once they become available.
Bangladesh - New Patent Act now in force
The Government of Bangladesh has officially announced in its latest gazette that the Bangladesh Patent Act 2023 came into force from 27 February 2025. The new Act marks a significant modernisation of the country’s legal provisions for patent protection.
Whilst the new Act has so far only been published in the local (Bengali) language, we have ascertained some salient points of the new law, and these are discussed in our article.
Guidelines following Uruguay's accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty
The Uruguayan Patent and Trademark Office (DNPI) has now issued its first regulation which establishes the initial legal framework for PCT applications in Uruguay. This follows its accession to the PCT with effect from 7 January 2025. We summarise the main points established so far.
Bahrain signs further Patent Prosecution Highway agreements
The Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce has recently signed agreements with the South Korean and European Patent Offices to mutually benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program. Applicants who receive a positive ruling on patent claims from the Bahrain IPO and either the South Korean IPO or the EPO will enjoy an accelerated examination of corresponding claims in the other office, and vice versa. This will serve to reduce the time it takes to secure patent protection in these jurisdictions, and will streamline the prosecution of those patent applications.
Bahamas - New IP laws in force
As reported last week on our website, new IP laws relating to copyright, patents, and trade marks were unexpectedly brought into retroactive effect in the Bahamas from 1 February 2025. Whilst we are still awaiting written confirmation from BIPO and approval of the implementing regulations, we have analysed the new laws and summarise here some provisions of particular significance.
Steve Le Feuvre - The end of an era at Lysaght
Many of you will have worked with Steve Le Feuvre during his many years of service with Lysaght. He’s now counting down the final few weeks here before embarking on his well-deserved retirement.
We asked Steve to share some insights into his time at Lysaght and what his plans for the future involve.
CITMA Spring Conference and INTA 2025 attendance
Lysaght will be present at both the upcoming CITMA Spring Conference (20-21 March 2025) in London, and the INTA Annual Meeting (17-21 May 2025) in San Diego.
We look forward to attending these discussions, as well as to meeting both new and existing colleagues, clients and agents from around the world. Tim Noel and Richard Stilwell are currently filling their schedules with meetings, so please email us at admin@lysaght.co.uk if you would like to meet with them.
Enhancing Productivity and Discovering Business Opportunities with AI as a Global Intellectual Property Firm
In the ever-changing world of Intellectual Property (IP), firms are increasingly adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost productivity and uncover new business opportunities. Our firm successfully integrated an AI-driven software to streamline our quality control process.
Bahamas - New IP laws in force
On 25 February 2025, the Bahamas IPO (BIPO) informed practitioners in a verbal communication that new IP laws relating to copyright, patents, and trade marks became retroactively effective from 1 February 2025. However, the subsidiary legislation, including the implementing regulations and official fees, has not been finalised or approved and no timeframe has yet been provided for this.
Bermuda: Further delays to the new Trade Mark Act
We have received notification from the Intellectual Property Office that the enforcement date of the new Trade Marks Act in Bermuda has been delayed again, and a date of 01 April 2025 is now being considered. At this time, we cannot confirm whether the new law will be enforced on that date or whether there will be additional delays, but until the new law comes into force, the old legislation is still in effect.
ARIPO - Amendments to law on patents, designs and utility models
The ARIPO Administrative Council has adopted several amendments to the Harare Protocol on Patents, Utility Models and Industrial Designs ("the Protocol") and its Implementing Regulations (“the Regulations”), which will come into effect on 1 March 2025. Our article summarises some of the key changes.
Kiribati – New IP laws currently under review
It has come to our attention that new patent and trade mark laws are currently under review in the Republic of Kiribati which, once promulgated, will overhaul the current UK-based re-registration systems that currently exist there and will introduce national filing systems.
ARIPO - New official fees for patent and design matters
It has been announced that ARIPO will increase some of its official fees for patent and design matters, which will apply to all new and existing patent cases from 1st March 2025.
Libya – Revocation of certain Trade Marks; Amendment to Trade Mark Renewal Fees
Two pieces of news have recently come to light regarding trade mark matters in Libya, which have significant implications for rights holders there. We summarise these developments relating to the cancellation of certain trade marks and an increase in the official fees for renewal payments.
Saudi Arabia – Accession to International Design Registration Treaty
The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. This law will enter into force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 7 April 2025.
Appointment of our IP expert to OAPI-centric committee
We are proud to announce that Isabelle MBOME from our affiliated office of Ekémé Lysaght SARL has been appointed as a member of the Scientific Committee of the Denis Ekani Intellectual Property Academy (APIDE). Isabelle’s appointment to the committee will enable her to contribute to the training of specialist human resources and the sharing of knowledge in the field of IP, and to gain a valuable insight into developments that occur in legal and practical aspects of IP at OAPI.
COSTA RICA – Validation of European patents
The European Patent Office and the Costa Rican Minister of Justice of Peace have just announced that they have signed an agreement allowing European patents to be validated in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is the first country in Latin America to sign such an agreement. The news marks a significant step in strengthening intellectual property protection and fostering innovation and investment in Latin America.
In The Spotlight: Zoë Molloy
Zoë is the newest member to the Lysaght team, bringing with her 7 years of IP experience and qualification as a CITMA paralegal. With Lysaght’s commitment to nurturing and developing the staff, Zoë will face new challenges in preparing to manage her own portfolio of countries.