Intellectual Property News

TRIPOLI - We are pleased to announce to the Intellectual Property community the release of the Online Libyan Trademark Official Gazette application (LTMOG).

LTMOG contains 19,467 published trademarks with all related information and actions; including recordal change of owner's name, recordal change of owner's address, recordal change of trademark print, assignments, corrected application and refused (published by mistake) applications and much more.

All information is also available in English language to facilitate a bilingual search; Arabic and English.

We are committed to your satisfaction and welcome your feedback.

TRIPOLI - We have received several inquiries about what has lately been regarding the Registrar confirmation of the possibility to submit renewal applications in respect of expired trademarks, regardless to their expiry date, until 31 December 2015 and that after said date, all expired trademarks will be treated as cancelled.

In this regard, we would like to clarify the following:

As per article 1257 of the Commercial Act number 23 of the year 2010 which stated "The protection period of a registered trademark is ten years. The registration could be renewed for a similar period or periods according to the applicant during the last year of the protection period. The applicant may submit a renewal application after the expiry date and within a period of 6 months from the date of expiry (grace period). Wherein no application for renewal has been submitted by the applicant, the trademark office shall ex officio cancel the trademark from the register. Where cancellation of registration of a trademark has been duly entered, the trademark shall be re-registered in the name of the original applicant within a period of three years from the date of cancellation according to the law.

Accordingly, we had a meeting with the Registrar to clarify the subject matter and he advised the following:

  • No official decision has been issued in this regard from the Trademark Office. Therefore, all the news in this regard is baseless;
  • Any Trademark owner could at any time renew his trademark (whether expired or not) and pay the renewal fees, but this does not mean that the trademark had been renewed unless a final written decision from the Trademark Office is issued with relation of renewing the trademark;
  • Any trademark owner could at any time submit an application at the Trademark office to obtain official notices regarding the current status of his trademark prior to paying the renewal fees as not to pay the renewal fees for elapsed and cancelled trademarks.
  • Based on the above, we urge our client to be extra cautious regarding unofficial news in this regard.

    TRIPOLI - The Trademark Office has started issuing the Registration Certificates of the trademarks holding the filing number from 5000 to 6000 and so forth. Usually, the Trademark Office will notify the agents once the registration certificates are ready in order to pay the registration fees.

    TRIPOLI - Libya's new Commercial Activity Law has been issued and became effective on 21 August 2010. This law replaces Law No. 40 of 1956; however, the regulations to implement the Law have not yet been issued.