Moroccan, French Patent Offices Sign Agreement to Expedite Patent Issuance

Rabat – The French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) signed a Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreement on Tuesday.

The PPH agreement is poised to streamline and expedite the patent examination and issuance process, benefiting innovators and businesses in both nations, INPI said in a statement.

The signing ceremony, held in the capital city of Rabat, marked a milestone in the relationship between the two countries’ intellectual property offices.

The event took place on the sidelines of the 26th annual joint commission meeting between INPI and OMPIC, with top officials from both organizations.

Attending the event were Pascal Faure, Director-General of INPI, and Abdelaziz Babqiqi, Director-General of OMPIC.

Commenting on the signing of the agreement, Fauresaid: “This signature solidifies the close and fruitful cooperation that our two offices have maintained for many years.”

According to Faure, the agreement represents a “significant advancement for Moroccan and French economic actors who increasingly incorporate industrial property tools into their business strategies.”

The joint commission meeting provided an opportunity for the leaders of both institutions to reflect on the extent of their collaboration over the past year and chart a new course for the year ahead, the statement explains.

The cooperation between INPI and OMPIC is structured around three key pillars: Exchanging know-how, promoting dissemination of industrial knowledge and intellectual property, and training. promoting industrial and property information dissemination and training.

“The signing of the PPH agreement signifies a commitment to the exchange of best practices among examiners from both offices. This collaboration aims to enhance efficiency and consistency in patent examination,” the statement notes.

Regarding the training, the statement explains that it “involves providing training in the Certificate of Industrial Property Animator (CAPI) and funding university diplomas from the Center for International Intellectual Property Studies for OMPIC agents.”

Following the signing ceremony, the INPI delegation extended their visit to Morocco with a trip to Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and the MASCIR Foundation in Benguerir on Wednesday, September 6th. The purpose of this visit was to explore avenues of cooperation in raising awareness and providing training in intellectual property law within university valorization centers.