Celebrating 10 years of European patent validation in Morocco

​Morocco was the first country to sign a validation agreement with the EPO. The agreement, which entered into force a decade ago, streamlines patent protection for applicants and fosters innovation.

​​Today the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark validation agreement. Since its entry into force on 1 March 2015, this agreement between the European Patent Organisation and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco has strengthened ties between Europe and Morocco, supporting innovation, technology transfer and economic growth. It has also provided European patent holders with a straightforward route to extending their patent protection to Morocco, facilitating access to the market while reinforcing the local innovation ecosystem. 

The validation system, the most advanced form of co-operation between the EPO and non-member states, enables European patents to be validated outside Europe via a simple, cost-effective procedure using the EPO’s high-quality patent grant process.

EPO President António Campinos said: “We are very pleased to mark the 10th anniversary of this landmark agreement with our partners at OMPIC. Over the past decade this strong partnership has benefited both EPO users and Morocco, facilitating the shared use of resources, bolstering technology transfer and strengthening the innovation ecosystem. The agreement was the first of its kind, and the validation system has since proven to be successful in bringing the benefits of the European patent system to users worldwide. Validation provides European innovators with easier and more cost-effective access to international markets while supporting local innovation.”

Reflecting on the impact of the agreement, OMPIC Director General Abdelaziz Babqiqi said: “This milestone not only celebrates the substantial achievements of the past decade but also lays the groundwork for further advancements in protecting industrial property rights in Morocco while fostering a reliable environment for innovation and knowledge-sharing. We are very pleased with the fruitful co-operation which has developed between our offices in fields such as IT tools, patent examiner training, legal approximation and exchange of best practice.”

Strong demand from users

Over the past decade, EPO patent applicants from around the world have filed more than 18 000 requests for validation in Morocco. Europe is the leading region for requests (with the highest number coming from France, Switzerland and Germany), followed by the US, China and Japan. The leading fields of technology for European patent validation in Morocco are pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, representing around 46%. However, requests for validation span all fields of technology, with a fifth of all requests relating to inventions in mechanical fields.

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Benefits of validation

Companies and inventors seeking patent protection beyond Europe benefit from the validation system’s simplicity.

During the patent grant process, an applicant can choose to pay a validation fee to retain the right to validate their granted European patent. Once their patent is granted, it can be validated in Morocco by paying the required fees and filing an Arabic or French translation of the claims, without the need to file another application or undergo further examination by OMPIC. This streamlined process provides reliable and cost-effective patent protection and has positioned Morocco as an attractive destination for businesses seeking robust patent protection. Validation is optional and applicants can choose the countries in which they would like to validate their European patents.

Since Morocco joined in 2015, the validation system has expanded with five agreements now in force. Two more agreements, with Laos and Costa Rica, were signed last year. As the validation system enters its second decade, the network of partners is set to expand, bringing even more benefits to European patent users.